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Slip  i.  1.  ItU  iCtbrara 


Nortl?  (Earolina  ^tat?  Imopraity 


T3 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


MAR  2  6 

'^  mi 

NOV  2  0  19 
iMAR  0  9  t 

«P  i  1 1994 


PHEASANTS 


THEIR 


ilatural  W^toj:^  autr  practical  Jlanagmmt. 


W.   B.   TEGETMEIER 

(Member   of  the    British    Ornitholoyistn'     Union), 

xVDTHOR  OF  "THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  CRANES,"  "TABLE  AND  MARKET 

POULTRY,"  "HORSES,  MULES,  AND  MULE  BREEDING,"  Etc.,  Etc. 


7^ 

FOURTH    EDITION,    ENLARGED. 


LLUSTRATED  FEOM  LIFE  BY  J.  G.  MILLAIS,  T.  W.  WOOD, 
P.  SMIT,  AND  F.  W.  FROHAWK. 


London  : 
HORACE     COX, 

•THE    FIELD"   OFFICE,  BREAM'S   BUILDINGS,   E.G. 

1904. 

rAll  rig  Ms  resfrved.i 


LONDON: 
I'ED     BY    HOIIACK    fOX,     -'THK     FIET-D"    OFFICE.    BREAM'S    BUILOINi; 


PREFACE. 


^li;    DETAILED    ACCOUNT    of    the    natural    history, 
^^       habits,  food,  aud  treatment  of  the  various  species 
of   Pheasants  had  long  been  a  desideratum ;  this 
book  was  projected  with  a  view  to  supply  the  want 
I  in    a   more    complete    and    comprehensive    form    than 

had  hitherto  been  attempted.  The  extremely  favour- 
able reception  which  the  previous  editions  met  with,  not 
only  from  the  reviewers,  but  also  from  the  general  public, 
showed  that  the  demand  for  such  information  was  not 
over-estimated,  whilst  the  opinions  expressed  by  many  of 
our  highest  authorities  have  led  me  to  believe  that  the 
endeavour  to  combine  ornithological  research  with  practical 
experience  in  the  management  of  this  group  of  birds  was 
not  unattended  with  success. 

In  the  following  work  I  have  given  the  natural  history 
and  general  practical  management,  not  only  of  the  pheasants 
strictly  adapted  for  the  covert,  but  also  of  tho  allied  species, 
which  are  the  best  adapted  to  our  aviaries. 

The  progress  of  scientific  exploration  is  continually 
bringing  to   light  species    of    pheasants    hitherto    unknown ; 

105162 


iv  PREFACE. 

some  of  these  are  well  suited  to  our  coverts,  whilst  others 
are  regarded  as  oruamental  birds.  A  few  years  since  the 
only  pheasant  breeding  wild  in  England  was  the  common 
species  [Phasianus  colchicns) ;  our  coverts  now  possess  the 
Chinese  (P.  torqiuitus) ,  the  Mongolian  (P.  mongolicus),  the 
Japanese  (P.  vei^sicolor),  and  the  Prince  of  Wales's  (P.  pi-i.nci- 
jpalis)  species  ;  whilst  the  Eeeves's  pheasant  (P.  reevesii),  well 
adapted  both  for  sporting  and  culinary  purposes,  has  been  bred 
in  the  forests  of  Scotland.  In  the  same  manner,  our  aviaries 
have  recently  been  enriched  by  the  addition  of  the  Amherst 
pheasant  [Thanmalea  amJierstise)  and  others,  which,  by  their 
exquisite  beauty,  eclipse  even  the  gorgeous  coloration  and 
elegant  markings  of  the  comparatively  well-known  Gold  and 
Silver  pheasants. 

To  indicate  and  illustrate  these  various  species,  to  give 
as  far  as  is  known  their  natural  history,  to  describe  the 
best  methods  of  rearing  them  in  preserves  and  inclosed 
pheaaantries,  to  enter  into  the  numerous  details  respecting 
their  food,  management,  protection,  rearing,  diseases,  &c.,  is 
the  object  at  which  I  have  aimed  in  the  preparation  of  this 
work. 

In  the  following  chapters  I  first  treat  of  the  natural 
history  of  the  pheasants  generally  —  their  food,  habits, 
nesting,  &c.  Then  follows  the  consideration  of  their 
management  in  preserves,  the  details  of  the  different 
methods  of  feeding  the  birds,  their  protection  from  their 
numerous  enemies,  the  formation  of  coverts,  &c.  This  is 
succeeded  by  an  account  of  their  treatment  in  inclosed 
pheasantries,  the  hatching  of  the  eggs,  rearing  and  feeding 
the  young  birds,  and  the  prevention  and  cure  of  their 
diseases. 


PREFACE. 


A  detailed  description  of  all  the  different  species  adapted 
for  turning  out^  and  of  the  various  hybrids  and  crosses 
between  them,  is  then  given;  and  the  work  concludes 
with  accounts  of  the  ornamental  species,  such  as  the  Gold, 
Silver,  and  Amherst  pheasants,  and  the  best  methods  of 
their  management  in  aviaries. 

Of  the  admirable  engravings  which  illustrate  the  volume 
I  may  remark,  in  the  words  of  Izaak  Walton,  "  Next  let  me 
add  this,  that  he  that  likes  not  the  book  should  like  the 
excellent  pictures  ....  Avhich  I  may  take  a  liberty 
to  commend,  because  they  concern  not  myself." 

W.  B.  TEGETMEIER. 

NOETH    FiNCHLEY,    N. 


TO 

Sir  WALTER  GILBEY,  BART., 

THIS    WORK    IS    INSCRIBED,    WITH    SINCERE    RESPECT    AND 
ESTEEM, 

BY   THE    AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE    PHEASANTS. 

Chapter  I. 
Habits,  Food,  Structure,  &c.  ...  ...  ...         page  1 

Chapter  II, 
Introduction,  Distribution,  &c.        ...  ...  ...  ...      23 


MANAGEMENT    IN    PRESERVES. 

Chapter   III. 
Formation  of  Coverts  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...     43 

Chapter  IV. 
Feeding  in  Coverts  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...     53 

Chapter  V. 
Rearing  and  Protection        ...  ...  ...  ...  ...     (51 


MANAGEMENT    IN    CONFINEMENT. 

Chapter  VI. 

Formation  of  Pens  and  Aviaries    ...  ...  ,  ■  ...     77 


CONTE^^TS. 


Chapter  VII. 
Laying  and  Hatching'  ...  ...  ...  ...       j^'^Q^     ^^ 

Chai'TER   VIII. 
Hearing  ihe  Young  Bii-ds    ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   115 


DISEASES    OF    PHEASANTS. 

Chapter  IX. 

The  Gapes^  Crampj  &c.         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   131 


PHEASANTS  ADAPTED  TO  THE  COVERT. 

Chapter  X. 
The  Common  Pheasant         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   150 

Chapter  XI. 
The  Chinese  Pheasant  ...  ...  ...  ...  .159 

Chapter  XII. 
The  Japanese  Pheasant        ..  ...  ..  ...  ..    165 

Chapter  XIII. 
The  Mongolian  Pheasant     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...    1 73 

Chap'J'er    XIV. 
Reeves's  Pheasant     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...    1 78 

Chapter   XV. 
Hagenbeck's  Pheasant         ...  .  .  ...  ...  ...    190 

Chapter  XVJ. 
Prince  of  Wales's  Pheasant  ...  ...  ...  ...   192 

Chapter  XA^II. 
Soemmerring's  Pheasant       ...  ...  , , •  . .  ...    197 


CONTENTS. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    AVIARY. 

Chapter  XVIII. 
The  Golden  Pheasant  ...  ...  ...  ...     page  204 

Chapter  XIX. 
The  Amherst  Pheasant         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   215 

Chapter    XX. 
The  Silver  Pheasant  222 

Chapter   XXI. 
The  Eared  Pheasant 228 

Chapter  XXII. 
The  Impeyan  Pheasant        ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   231 

Chapter  XXIII. 
The  Argus  Pheasant  ...  ...  ...  ..  ...   2o6 


APPENDIX    A. 

Transport  op  Pheasants     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  243 

APPENDIX    B. 

FEKTiLPrY  or  Hybrid  Reeves's  and  other  Pheasants      .  .  247 


LIST    OF    PLATES 


COLOURED    PLATES. 

Mongolian  Pheasant  [P.  mongolicus) Frontispiece. 

Common  Pheasant  (P.  colcliicus) To  face  150 

Chinese  Pheasant  (P.  fo?-5ua^t/s) ,,  159 

Japanese  Pheasant  [P.  versicolor)        „  165 

Reeves's  Pheasant  (P.  reet'e.si/) „  178 

Hagenbeck's  Pheasant  (P,' /ia^e»6ecfcu')      „  190 


ENGRAVINGS. 

Common  Pheasant  (P.  coZc/a'cu6') To  face  154 

Bohemian  Pheasant  (P.  colcliicus — variety)   ) 
Hybrid  Pheasant  (Reeves's  and  Bohemian)  )      " 

Chinese  Pheasant  (P.  ^or^wa^ifs) „  163 

Japanese  Pheasant  (P.  t'e?-Mco/or)        ,,  169 

Reeves's  Pheasant  (P.  7-eeye6fii) ,,  183 

Reeves's  Pheasant  in  Flight        „  185 

Reeves's  Pheasant  in  Covert        ,,  188 

Prince  of  Wales's  Pheasant  [P.  principalis)      ...  ,,  192 

Sa'mmerrmg's  Pheasant  (P.  see /nmerW?2gfz/)       ...  ,,  197 

Golden  Pheasant  (j?7auMyja/ea  ^ic/a) ...  ,,  204 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


Amherst  Pheasant  [Thawnalea  amJiersticv) 
Silver  Pheasant  [Euplocamns  nydliemerus)    . 
Eared  Pheasant  {Crosftoptilon  inantchuricum) 
Inipeyan  Pheasant  {Lojohophorus  impeijanus) 

Argus  Pheasant  {Argus  giganteus)  

Argus  Pheasant  Displaying  its  Plumage    ... 


To  face  215 
222 
228 
231 
23(3 
239 


PHEASANTS 

FOE   COVERTS   AND  AVIARIES. 


CHAPTEE    I 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   PHEASANTS. 


^ 


STRUCTURE,    FOOD,    AND    HABITS. 

I  HE  PHEASANTS,  properly  so  called  (as  dis- 
tinguished from  tlie  allied  but  perfectly  distinct 
genera  wliicli  include  the  Gold  and  Silver  pheasants, 

the  Kaleege,  the  Monaul,  &c.),  constitute  the  genus  or 

group  known  to  naturalists  under  the  title  Phasianus. 

Of  the  true  pheasants  no  less  than  thirteen  distinct 
species  have  been  described  by  Mr..  D.  Gr.  Elliott,  in  his 
splendid  folio  monograph  on  the  Phasianidue.  Of  thesv- 
several  are  knoAvn  only  by  rare  specimens  of  their  skins 
brought  from  little  explored  Asiatic  countries^  and  others 
cannot  be  regarded  as  anything  more  than  mere  local  or 
geographical  varieties  of  well  known  species.  Since  the 
publication  of  Elliott's  Pliasianidce  several  additional  species 
have  been  described. 

Mr.  Ogilvie-Grant  in  his  valuable  '^Handbook  on  Game 
Birds "  published  in  Allen's  "  Natural  History  "  enumerates 
no  less  than  eighteen  species  of  true  pheasants  belonging  to 
the  genus  Phasianus,  of  which  he  takes  the  common  species, 
Phasianus  colcliicus,  as  the  type,  and  additional  species  have 

B 


2  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  A  VIABIES. 

since   been    described  by  Mr    H.  E.    Dresser  and  tlie  Hon. 
Walter  Kotlischild.      {See  list  at  end  of  Chapter,  p.  22.) 

Without  including,  however,  such  birds  as  have,  from 
their  rarity  or  other  causes,  no  practical  interest  to  English 
game  preservers,  there  remain  several  well  known  species 
that  will  require  our  careful  consideratiou.  Such  ai'e  :  The 
common  pheasant  {Pliasianus  colcMcus) ,  novf^  generally  diffused 
throughout  southern  and  central  Europe  ;  the  Chinese 
(P.  torquatus)  ;  the  Japanese  (P.  versicolor)  ;  and  Reeves 
Pheasant  {P.reevesii).  These,  however,  are  so  closely  related 
in  structure,  form,  and  habits,  that  their  natural  history  and 
general  management  may  be  given  once  for  all,  and  their 
distinctive  peculiarities  pointed  out  subsequently. 

(  The  pheasants  constituting  the  genus  Pliasianus  are 
readily  distinguished  by  their  tail  feathers,  which  are  eighteen 
in  number,  the  middle  pair  being  m«©h  the  Ion gest,)and  these 
.attain  tlieir  maximuni- development  in  the  Reeves  pheasant, 
-reaching  in  that  species  to  a  length  exceeding  five  or  six  feet. 
They  are  all  destitute  of  feathered  crests  oi-  fieskyjcombs,  but 
'are  funiishtMl  with  small  tufts  of  feathers  behind  the  eyes.j 
In  their  native  state  they  are  essentially  forest  birds,  fre- 
quenting the  margins  of  wood,  coming  into  the  open  tracts 
in  search  of  food,  and  retreating  into  the  thick  underwood  at 
the  slightest  cause  for  alarm.  The  common  pheasant,  Avhich 
has  been  inti-oduced  from  its  native  country,  Asia  Minor,  for 
upwards  of  a  thousand  years,  though  spread  over  the  greater 
part  of  Europe,  and  more  recently  introduced  into  North 
America,  Australia,  and  New  Zealand,  still  retains  its 
primitive  habits. 

''It  is,"  says  Naumann,  in  his  work  on  the  "Birds  of 
Germany,"  "certainly  a  forest  bird,  but  not  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  term ;  for  neither  does  it  inhabit  the  densely 
wooded  districts,  nor  the  depths  of  the  mixed  forest,  unless 
driven  to  do  so.  Small  pieces  of  grove,  where  deep  under- 
bush  and  high  grass  grow  between  the  trees,  where  thorn 
hedges,  berry-growing   bushes,    and    water   overgrown   with 


STRUCTUBE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS. 


Teeds,  and  here  and  there  pastures  and  fields  are  found,  are 
■its  chosen  places  of  abode.  Nor  must  well-cultivated  and 
grain -growing  fields  be  Avanting  where  this  bird  is  to  do  well. 
It  neither  likes  the  bleak  mountain  country  nor  dry  sandy 
places ;  nor  does  it  frequent  the  pine  woods  unless  for 
protection  against  its  enemies,  or  during  bad  weather,  or  at 
night." 

"In  our  own  country/'  says  Macgillivray/'  "its  favourite 
places  of  resort  are  thick  plantations,  or  tangled  woods  by 
streams,  where,  among  the  long  grass,  brambles,  and  other 
•shrubs,  it  passes  the  night,  sleeping  on  the  ground  in  summer 
and  autumn,  but  commonly  roosting  in  the  trees  in  winter." 

Like  the  domestic  fowl,  which  it  closely  resembles  in  its 
internal  structure  and  its  habits,  the  pheasant  is  an 
omnivorous  feeder;  grain,  herbage,  roots,  berries,  and  other 
small  fruits,  insects,  acorns,  beech  mast,  are  alike  acceptable 
to  it.  Naumaun  gives  the  following  detailed  description  of 
its  dietary  on  the  Continent.  "Its  food  consists  of  grain, 
seeds,  fruits,  and  berries,  with  green  herbs,  insects,  and 
worms,  varying  with  the  time  of  year.  Ants,  and  particularly 
their  larvas,  are  a  favourite  food,  the  latter  forming  the  chief 
support  of  the  young.  It  also  eats  many  green  weeds,  the 
tender  shoots  of  grass,  cabbage,  young  clover,  wild  cress, 
pimpernel,  young  peas,  &c.,  &c.  Of  berries :  the  wild 
mezereum  {Daphne  mezereum) ,  wild  strawberries  {Fragaria), 
currants,  elderberries  from  the  species  Samhiicus  racemosa, 
8.  nigra,  and.  S.ehulns;  blackberries  {Ruhus  ccesius,  R.idoeus, 
and  R.  fruiticosus) ;  mistletoe  [Viscum  album) ;  hawthorn 
{Cratfcgus  torviinalis) .  Plums,  apples,  and  pears  it  eats 
•readily,  and  cherries,  mulberries,  and  grapes  it  also  takes 
when  it  can  get  them.  In  the  autumn  ripe  seeds  are  its 
chief  food,  it  eats  those  of  many  of  the  sedges  and  grasses, 
and  of  several  species  of  Polygonum,  as  P.  dumetorum ;  black 
bindweed  (P.  convolvulus) ;  knot  grass  (P.  aviculare)  ;  and 
-also  those  of  the  cow-wheat  {Melampyrum)  ;  and  acorns, 
.beech  mast,  &c.,  form  a  large  portion  of  its  food  in  the  lattei* 
B  2 


4  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

months  of  the  year.  Amongst  forest  plants^it  likes  the  seeds- 
of  the  hemp-nettle  [Galeopsis],  and  it  also  feeds  on  almost  all' 
the  seeds  that  the  farmer  sows." 

To  this  long  catalogue  of  its  continental  fare  may  be- 
added  the  roots  of  the  silver  weed  {Fotrntilla  annerina),  andi 
those  of  the  pig-imt  or  earth-nut  [Bunium  iiexuosum) ,  and  the- 
tubers  of  the  common  buttercups  {Ranunculus  bulhosus  and' 
R.  ficaria),  which  are  often  scratched  out  of  the  soil  and  eaten. 
Macgillivray  states  that  "  One  of  the  most  remarkable  facts- 
relative  to  this  bird  that  has  come  under  my  observation,  was- 
the  presence  of  a  very  large  quantity  of  the  fronds  of  the 
comimm  polypody  {Polypodium  vulgare)  in  the  crop  of  one- 
which  I  opened  in  the  winter  of  1835.  I  am  not  aware  that 
any  species  of  fern  has  ever  been  found  constituting  part  of 
the  food  of  a  ruminating  quadruped  or  gallinaceous  bird;  and 
if  it  should  be  found  by  experiment  that  the  pheasant 
thrives  on  such  substances,  advantage  might  be  taken  of  the 
circumstance." 

Thompson,  in  his  "Natural  History  of  Irelaud,"  recounts 
the  different  varieties  of  food  he  observed  in  opening  the- 
crops  of  ten  pheasants — from  November  to  April  inclusive.. 
In  seven  he  discovered  tile  fruit  of  the  hawthorn,  with  grain,, 
small  seeds,  and  peas.  In  one  no  less  than  thirty-seven 
acorns.  Another  had  its  crop  nearly  filled  with  grass;  only 
one  contained  any  insects,  the  period  of  examination  being 
the  colder  months  of  the  year ;  in  summer  the  pheasant  is 
decidedly  insectivorous ;  all  contained  numerous  fragments 
of  stone.  He  also  records  that  in.  the  spring  the  yellow 
flowers  of  the  pile  wort  [Ranunculus  ficaria)  are  always  eatem 
in  large  quantity,  as  are  the  tuberous  roots  of  the  common 
silver  weed  [Potentilla  dnserina),  when  they  are  turned  up  by 
cultivation.  Mr.  Thompson  adds :  "  While  spending  the- 
nionth  of  January,  1849,  at  the  sporting  quarters  of 
Ardiuiersy  Cottage,  Island  of  Islay,  where  pheasants  are- 
abundant,  and  attain  a  very  large  size — the  ring-necked, 
variety,  too,  being  common — I  observed  that  these  birds,   in. 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS. 


tlie  outer  or  wilder  coverts,  feed,  during  mild  as  well  as 
severe  weather,  almost  wholly  on  hazel  nuts.  In  tlie  first  bird 
that  was  remarked  to  contain  them,  they  were  reckoned, 
and  found  to  be  twenty-four  in  number,  all  of  full  size  and 
perfect ;  in  addition  were  many  large  insect  larvte.  Either 
oats  or  Indian  corn  being  thrown  out  every  morning  before 
the  windows  of  the  cottage  for  pheasants,  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  observing  their  great  preference  of  the  former  to 
the  latter.  I  remarked  a  pheasant  one  day  in  Islay  taking 
the  sparrow's  place,  by  picking  at  horsedung  on  the  road  for 
undigested  oats." 

Among  the  more  singular  articles  of  food  that  form  part 
of  the  pheasant's  very  varied  dietary  may  be  mentioned  the 
spangles  of  the  oak  so  common  in  the  autumn  on  the  under 
side  of  the  leaves.  These  galls  are  caused  by  the  presence 
of  the  eggs  of  a  gall-fly  {Ncuroterus  lenticularis),  which 
imay  be  reared  from  the  spangles  if  they  are  collected 
in  the  autumu,  and  kept  in  a  cool  and  rather  moist  atmos- 
phere during  the  winter.  About  the  fall  of  the  leaf  these 
spangles  begin  to  lose  their  flat  mushroom-like  form  and  red 
hirsute  appearance,  and  become  by  degrees  raised  or  bossed 
towards  the  middle,  in  consequence  of  the  growth  of  the 
enclosed  grub,  which  now  becomes  visible  when  the  spangle 
is  cut  open.  The  perfect  insect  makes  its  appearance  in 
April  and  May.  Some  few  years  since  Mr.  R.  Carr  Ellison 
published  the  following  account  of  their  being  eagerly  sought 
after  and  devoured  by  pheasants  in  a  wild  state :  "  Just 
before  the  fall  of  the  oak-leaf  these  spangles  (or  the  greater 
part  of  them)  become  detached  from  it,  and  are  scattered 
upon  the  ground  under  the  trees  in  great  profusion.  Our 
pheasants  delight  in  picking  them  up,  especially  from  the 
surface  of  walks  and  roads,  where  they  are  most  easily  found. 
But  as  they  are  quite  visible  even  to  human  eyes,  among 
the  wet  but  undecayed  leaves  beneath  the  oaks,  wherever 
pheasants  have  been  turning  them  up,  a  store  of  winter  food 
us  evidently  provided  by  these  minute  and  dormant  insects 


0  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVEIiTS  AXD  AVIARIES. 

Avith  their  vegetable  incasement,  in  addition  to  the  earth- 
worms, slugs,  &c.,  which  induce  the  pheasants  to  forage  sO' 
industriousl}',  by  scratching  up  the  layers  of  damp  leaves 
in  incipient  decay  which  cover  the  woodland  soil  in  winter. 
Not  only  have  we  found  the  spangles  plentifully  in  the  crops- 
of  pheasants  that  have  been  shot,  but,  on  presenting  leaves 
covered  with  them  to  the  common  and  to  the  gold  pheasants 
in  confinement,  we  observed  the  birds  to  pick  them  up  without 
a  moment's  hesitation,  and  to  look  eagerly  for  more.'^ 

The  value  of  pheasants  to  the  agriculturist  is  scarcely 
suflBciently  appreciated  ;  the  birds  destroy  enormous  numbers 
of  injurious  insects — upwards  of  twelve  hundred  wireworms 
have  been  taken  out  of  the  crop  of  a  pheasant ;  if  this  number 
was  consumed  at  a  single  meal,  the  total  destroyed  must  be- 
almost  incredible.  There  is  no  doubt  that  insects  are  pre- 
ferred to  grain,  one  pheasant  shot  at  the  close  of  the  shooting- 
season  had  in  its  crop  726  wireworms,  one  acorn,  one  snail,, 
nine  berries,  and  three  grains  of  Avheat.  Mr.  F.  Bond  states 
that  he  took  out  of  the  crop  of  a  pheasant  440  grubs  of  the- 
crane  fly  or  daddy  longlegs — these  larvfe  are  exceedingly 
destructive  to  the  roots  of  the  grass  on  lawns  and  pastures. 
As  another  instance  of  their  insectivorous  character  may  be 
mentioned  the  complaint  of  Waterton,  that  they  had  extir- 
pated the  grasshoppers  from  Walton  Park.  They  also 
occasionally  eat  molluscous  animals.  Mr.  John  Bishop,  of 
Llandovery,  killed  a  pheasant  on  the  coast  of  Islay  whose 
crop  was  filled  with  the  coloured  snail's  shells  abounding  on 
the  bents  or  grass  stems  on  the  coast.  At  the  meeting  of  the- 
British  Ornithologists'  Club,  October  21,  1896,  I  exhibited 
some  snail  shells  {HelLc  nemorali.i)  of  full  size,  no  less  than 
forty-eight  of  which  I  had  taken  out  of  the  crop  of  a. 
pheasant. 

Lord  Lilford,  in  his  beautiful  volumes  on  the  "  Birds 
of  Northamptonshire,''  writes :  "  The  pheasant,  where  not 
preserved  in  unreasonable  numbers,  is  a  good  friend  to  the 
farmer,  from  the  enormous  number  of  wireworms  and  other 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS. 


noxious  insects  wliicli  it  devours,  to  say  nothing  of  its  liking 
for  tlie  roots  of  various  weeds  ;  but  it  would  be  absurd  to 
deny  tliat  grain  forms  its  favourite  food,  and  a  field  of 
standing  beans  will^  as  is  well  known,  draw  pheasants  for 
miles.  It  is  very  much  the  fashion  to  feed  the  birds  with 
maize  ;  but,  in  our  own  opinion,  the  flesh  of  pheasants  which 
have  been  principally  fed  upon  this  corn  is  very  far  inferior  in 
flavour  to  that  of  those  who  have  found  their  own  living 
upon  what  the  land  may  offer  them." 

Like  their  allies,  the  domestic  fowls,  pheasants  are  occa- 
sion ally  carnivorous  in  their  appetite.  A  correspondent 
writes  :  "  This  morning  my  keeper  brought  me  a  pied  cock 
pheasant,  found  dead  (but  still  warm)  in  some  standing  barley. 
The  bird  was  in  finest  condition,  and  showed  no  marks  what- 
ever, when  plucked,  of  a  violent  death.  On  searching  the 
gullet  I  extracted  a  short-tailed  field  mouse,  which  had 
doubtless  caused  death  by  strangulation."  And  a  similar 
instance  was  recorded  by  Mr  Hutton^  of  Northallerton.  The 
Hon.  and  Rev.  C.  Bathurst,  in  a  letter  published  in  Loudon's 
Magazine  of  Natural  History,  vol.  ii.,  p.  153,  relates  that  Sir 
John  Ogilvy  saw  a  pheasant  flying  off  with  a  common  slow- 
worm  {Anguis  fray  His)  ;  that  this  reptile  does  sometimes  form 
part  of  the  food  of  the  pheasant  is  confirmed  by  Mr  J.  E. 
Harting,  who  recounts  in  his  work  on  ''  The  Birds  of  Middle- 
sex," that  ''  on  examining  the  crop  of  a  pied  pheasant,  shot  in 
October,  1864,  I  was  surprised  to  find  in  it  a  common  slow- 
worm  {Anguis  fragilis)  which  measured  eight  inches  in  length. 
It  was  not  quite  perfect,  having  lost  the  tip  of  the  tail ;  other- 
wise, if  whule,  it  would  probably  have  measured  nine 
inches." 

In  October,  1888,  Mr.  J.  B.  Footner,  of  Tunbridge  Wells, 
forwarded  to  me  three  young  vipers  that  were  found  with 
five  others  of  equal  size  in  the  crop  of  a  three  parts  grown 
hen  pheasant,  which  he  himself  shot  as  a  wild  bird.  Their 
length  was  slightly  in  excess  of  7in.,  and  the  weight  of  the 
largest  was  exactly  \oz.     They  were  evidently  young  of  the 


PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


same  brood.  In  his  letter  Mr  Footner  recalled  the  fact  that 
Sir  Kenelm  Digby,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Charles  I.,  and 
married  a  lady  of  great  beauty,  used  to  feed  his  wife  on 
capons  fatted  on  adders,  which  were  believed  to  preserve 
beauty.  Sir  Kenelm  Digby,  whose  portrait  may  be  seen  in 
Vandyke's  Iconography,  was  remarkable  as  a  charlatan,  who 
proposed  to  cure  wounds  by  applying  a  sympathetic  powder 
to  the  weapons  they  were  caused  by,  and  who  published  a 
treatise  on  "  Secrets  pour  la  Beaute  des  Dames,''  from  which 
the  viper  treatment  is  extracted. 

Mr  George  Fk.  Passmore,  of  Speranza,  Exeter,  writing  in 
the  Field  of  June  2,  1900,  states:  "An  extraordinary 
fatality  occurred  to  one  of  my  hen  pheasants,  confined  with 
a  number  of  others  in  a  large  pen,  at  Lambert,  Hatherleigh, 
North  Devon,  on  Sunday,  November  27,  between  11  a.m.  and 
4  p.m.  The  pheasant,  when  found,  had  swallowed  about 
6in.  of  a  viper,  whilst  about  Sin.  of  the  tail  part  of  the  reptile 
was  protruding  from  the  mouth  of  the  bird.  Both  the  bird 
and  viper  were  dead." 

The  structure  of  the  digestive  organs  of  the  pheasant  is 
perfectly  adapted  to  the  assimilation  of  the  food  on  which  it 
feeds.  The  sharp  edge  of  the  upper  mandible  of  the  bill  is 
admirably  fitted  for  cutting  off  portions  of  the  vegetables  on 
which  it  partly  subsists,  and  the  whole  organ  is  equally  well 
adapted  for  securing  the  various  articles  of  its  extensive 
dietary.  The  food,  when  swallowed,  passes  into  a  very 
capacious  membranous  crop,  situated  under  the  skin  at  the 
fore  part  of  the  breast.  From  this  organ  portions  gradually 
pass  into  the  true  digestive  stomach,  orproventiculus  ;  this  is 
a  short  tube,  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  connecting  the  cro]) 
with  the  gizzard.  Small  as  this  organ  may  be,  it  is  one  of 
extreme  importance,  as  the  numerous  small  glands  of  which 
it  mainly  consists  secrete  the  acid  digestive  or  gastric  fluid 
necessary  to  the  digestion  of  the  food ;  and  in  cases  in  which 
pheasants  or  fowls  are  fed  on  too  great  an  abundance  of 
animal  food,  or  any  highly-stimulating  diet,  this  organ  becomes 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS.  9 

inflamed^  and  death  is  frequently  tlie  result.  From  the  pro- 
venticulus  the  food  passes  into  the  gizzard,  which  is  lined 
with  a  dense  thick  skin  ;  in  its  cavity  the  food  is  ground 
down  to  a  pulp,  the  process  being  assisted  by  the  presence  of 
the  numerous  small  stones  and  angular  pieces  of  gravel,  &c., 
swallowed  by  the  bird.  The  food,  thus  ground  to  a  pulp, 
passes  on  into  the  intestines,  which  are  no  less  than  six  feet 
in  length;  in  the  upper  part  of  this  long  canal  it  is  mingled 
Avith  the  bile  formed  in  the  liver,  the  pancreatic  fluid,  &c., 
and,  as  it  passes  from  one  extremity  to  the  other,  the  nourish- 
ment for  the  support  of  the  animal  is  extracted ;  this  being 
greatly  aided  by  the  operation  of  the  two  casca,  or  blind 
intestines,  which  are  very  large  in  all  the  birds  of  this 
group. 

The  flight  of  the  pheasant  is  strong,  and  is  performed  by 
rapid  and  frequent  beats  of  the  wing,  the  tail  at  the  same 
time  being  expanded.  The  force  with  which  the  bird  flies 
may  be  inferred  from  the  result  which  has  not  unfrequently 
occurred  when  it  has  come  into  contact  with  thick  plate-glass 
in  windows.  Colonel  Turbervill,  writing  from  Bwenny 
Priory,  Glamorgan,  in  March  1897  states :  "  I  was  sitting  in 
our  drawing-room,  with  a  large  plate  glass  window  about 
2  yards  behind  me,  when  I  heard  a  loud  crash,  and  a  shower 
of  broken  glass  fell  about  me,  one  piece  cutting  my  head. 
On  looking  round  I  saw  a  large  hole  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
window,  and  a  hen  pheasant  lying,  nearly  dead,  between  3ft. 
and  4ft.  from  the  window  inside  the  room.  The  plate  glass 
through  which  the  pheasant  flew  is  one-fitth  of  an  inch  thick, 
and  pieces  o£  it  were  found  on  the  carpet  14ft.  from  the 
window.^'  A  correspondent  states  :  "  A  few  days  ago,  a  cock 
pheasant  rose  about  three  hundred  yards  from  my  house 
and  flew  against  the  centre  of  a  plate  glass  window,  smashing 
it  into  a  thousand  fragments.  The  glass  was  3ft.  Sin.  by 
oft.  4in,,  and  ^in.  thick;  and  such  was  the  force  of  the 
concussion  that  not  a  single  piece  remained  six  inches  square. 
A  slight  snow  on  the  ground  rendered  the  window  more  than 


10  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


usually  a  mirror  reflecting  the  outer  landscape.  It  is  needless- 
to  say  the  bird  was  killed  instantaneously.  Two  hen  pheasants- 
had,  on  previous  occasions  been  killed  in  the  same  way,  but 
the  glass  was  not  damaged."  Mr.  G.  A.  Hackett,  of  Pailton 
House,  Eugby,  also  wrote  as  follows:  "I  was  much  astonished: 
to-day,  at  about  two  o'clock,  by  hearing  a  loud  crash  of  glass 
iu  my  smoking-room,  and  on  going  there  I  found  a  cock 
pheasant  dead  on  the  floor  close  to  the  Avindow,  and  the  plate 
of  glass,  which  is  4ft.  by  3ft.  6in.,  and  jin.  thick,  in  thousands 
of  fragments.  I  am  certain  no  blow  from  a  man  could  have 
in  like  manner  demolished  the  glass.  The  pheasant  was  a 
ring-necked,  last  year's  bird,  and  weighed  nearly  olb."  These 
instances  occurred  in  the  day-time.  Sometimes  the  birds  are 
attracted  by  a  light,  as  in  the  following  cases  :  ■"  On  a  very 
rough  night  in  January,  a  hen  pheasant  flew  through  the 
hall  window  at  Merthyr  Manor,  Bridgend,  attracted  by  a 
light  inside."  And  the  following  incident  is  related  as 
occurring  iu  a  village  not  far  from  Bangor,  on  the  banks  of  a 
river  on  the  opposite  side  of  which  is  a  plantation  well  stocked 
with  pheasants  :  "  One  stormy  night  there  sat  in  a  room  of  a 
small  public,  which  had  a  window  facing  the  plantation,  six 
or  seven  men  enjoying  their  pipes  and  beer,  when  all  of  a 
sudden  crash  went  the  window,  out  went  the  candle,  and  out 
rushed  the  men  in  great  consternation.  On  examining  the 
room  a  splendid  cock  pheasant  was  found  under  the  table." 

The  wings,  considered  with  reference  to  the  size  aud 
weight  of  the  bird,  are  short  and  small ;  from  the  secondary 
quills  being  nearly  as  long  as  the  pi-imary,  they  are  very 
rounded  in  form,  the  third  and  fourth  primary  feathers  being 
the  longest.  The  wings  are  not  adapted  to  a  very  prolonged 
flight,  although  the  denizens  of  the  wilder  districts  in  the 
country  fly  with  a  speed  and  cover  distances  that  are  un- 
known to  the  over-fattened  birds  in  our  preserves.  Long- 
flights  are,  however,  not  altogether  beyond  the  powers  of  the- 
l)ii'd.  One  of  unusual  length  was  recorded  by  the  late 
jMr.    J.     Cordeaux,    of    Ulceby,    who    states     that     "  wlieib 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS.  If 


shooting-  in  the  marshes  oa  the  Lincolnshire  side  of  the- 
Humber,  near  Grimsby,  a  man  who  works  on  the  sea  em- 
bankment came  to  say  that  two  pheasants  had  just  flown  over 
from  the  Yorkshire  side,  alighting  within  a  few  feet  of  where- 
he  was  working  among  the  rough  grass  on  the  bank.  On 
going  to  the  spot  indicated,  I  at  once  found  and  shot  them ;, 
they  were  both  hens,  and  in  very  good  condition.  The 
Humber  at  this  place  from  shore  to  shore  is  nearly  four  miles 
across.  There  was  a  strong  northerly  breeze  blowing'  at  the 
time,  so  that  they  would  cross  before  the  wind,  or  with  the 
wind  a  little  aslant.  I  have  occasionally  found  pheasants  in 
the  marshes,  and  near  the  embankment,  which  I  was  sure 
must  have  come  across,  but  had  no  direct  evidence  of  the 
fact.'' 

The  comparatively  small  size  of  the  wings  necessitates- 
their  being  moved  with  great  force  and  velocity,  and  conse- 
quently the  moving  powers  or  muscles  of  the  breast  are  very 
large  and  well  developed,  taking  their  origin  from  the  deep- 
keel  on  the  breast  bone.  The  tail  is  long,  and  tapers  to 
a  point;  it  is  composed  of  eighteen  straight  pointed  feathers. 

The  pheasant,  like  most  of  its  congeners,  is  a  terrestrial 
bird,  seeking  its  food,  making  its  nest,  and  rearing  its  young 
upon  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Its  legs,  like  those  of  all 
true  rasorial  or  scratching  birds,  ai'e  strong  and  muscular, 
consequently  it  is  capable  of  running  with  great  speed.  The 
strong  blunt  claws  are  admirably  adapted  for  scratching  seeds 
and  tuberous  roots  from  the  gn-ouud,  or  worms  and  larvte 
from  beneath  fallen  leaves. 

Though  seldom  taking  voluntarily  to  the  water,  the 
pheasant  is  quite  capable  of  swimming,  as  is  proved  by  the 
following  instances.  A  well-known  game  preserver  writes : 
"  When  out  walking  to-day  with  my  keeper,  near  the  end  of  a 
long  pond  running  under  one  of  my  woods,  we  fancied  that 
we  heard  some  young  pheasants  calling  in  the  high  grass. 
On  going  up  to  the  place  where  we  had  heard  the  noise,  an 
old  hen  pheasant  got  up  and  flew  over  the  pond,  which  iss 


12  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVEETS  AND  AVIARIES. 


about  eighteen  or  nineteen  feet  wide  at  this  place  and  about 
four  feet  deep.  To  our  astonishment  one  of  the  young  birds 
ran  down  to  the  water,  went  into  it,  and  swam  safely  to  the 
other  side  after  its  mother.  The  young  birds  could  not  have 
been  more  than  fourteen  days  old."  Old  birds  will  also 
voluntarily  swim  across  rivers,  as  in  the  following  instance  : 
^'  While  flogging  the  waters  of  the  Usk,  I  saw  a  sight  that 
struck  me  with  astonishment.  A  fine  cock  pheasant  Avas 
walking  about  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  here  quite  thirty 
yards  broad  and  running  at  the  rate  of  four  knots  an  hour. 
On  our  approach  he  quietly  took  to  the  water  like  a  duck,  and, 
after  floating  down  stream  a  few  yards,  boldly  struck  across, 
and,  swimming  high  and  with  great  ease,  reached  the  bank 
nearly  opposite  to  the  spot  whence  he  set  out."  And  other 
similar  cases  are  on  record,  thus — Mr.  Donald  Campbell,  of 
Dunstafforage,  Oban,  states :  "  Six  pheasants,  five  cocks  and 
a  hen,  attempted  to  fly  across  Loch  Etive  from  one  of  the 
Ardchattan  coverts  on  the  north  side  of  the  loch,  which  near 
that  spot  varies  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  width.  When 
about  half-way  across  one  of  them  was  seen  either  to  fall  or 
alight  on  the  water,  and  its  example  was  immediately  f  olloAved 
by  the  other  five.  Fortunately,  the  son  of  the  Ardchattan 
gamekeeper,  who  was  in  a  boat  on  the  loch  at  the  time, 
observed  the  occurrence,  and  rowed  to  the  spot ;  but  as  he  had 
some  distance  to  go,  by  the  time  he  reached  the  birds  they 
were  very  much  exhausted  and  half  drowned,  and  were  drift- 
ing helplessly  with  the  tide.  He  got  them  into  the  boat  and 
took  them  ashore,  and,  after  being  well  dried  and  placed  in 
warm  boxes  near  a  good  fire,  they  all  eventually  recovered. 
The  day  was  cold  and  frosty,  and  there  was  a  slight  fog  on 
the  water."  AVhen  winged  and  dropped  into  the  water, 
pheasants  swim  with  facility,  and  some  instances  are  on  record 
of  their  diving  beneath  the  surface  and  rising  at  some 
distance. 

As  the  breeding  season  apjDroaches,  the  crow   of  the  male, 
a-esembling  the  imperfect  attempts   of  a  young  fowl,  may  be, 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS.  1^' 


heard  distinctly.  It  is  followed,  and  not  preceded  as  in  tlie 
game  cock,  by  the  clapping  of  the  wings;  the  pheasant  and 
the  domestic  cock  invariably  reversing  the  order  of  the 
succession  of  these  two  actions.  Like  the  domestic  fowl, 
pheasants  will  also  answer  any  loud  noise,  occurring  either  by 
day  or  night ;  they  have  been  noticed  replying  regularly  to- 
the  signal  gun  at  Shorncliffe,  which  is  tired  at  sunrise  and 
sunset,  and  this  in  coverts  situated  some  miles  distant ;  and  the 
practice  with  the  heavy  guns  at  the  various  military  stations 
will  often  cause  a  chorus  of  "  cucketing  "  in  all  the  coverts 
for  a  great  distance  round. 

The  display  of  the  plumage  during  courtship  by  the  males 
varies  in  almost  every  species  of  gallinaceous  birds.  That  of 
the  pheasant  was  carefully  described  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  W.. 
"Wood,  in  an  interesting  article  on  the  "  Courtship  of  Birds." 
Pheasants  seem  to  possess  no  other  mode  of  display  than  the 
lateral  or  one-sided  method.  In  this  the  males  disport  them- 
selves so  as  to  exhibit  to  the  females  a  greater  number  of 
their  beautiful  feathers  than  could  otherwise  be  seen  at  one 
view.  The  peculiar  attitude  assumed  by  the  male  of  the 
common  species  is  correctly  shown  in  the  vignette  on  page  42 
at  the  end  of  Chapter  II. ;  the  wing  of  the  side  nearest  the 
female  is  partly  opened  and  depressed,  precisely  in  the  same 
manner  as  performed  by  the  male  of  the  common  fowl,  and,, 
in  addition,  the  tail  is  expanded,  and  the  upper  surface 
turned  towards  the  same  side,  whilst  the  bright  vermilion  skin 
around  the  eye  is  greatly  extended,  and  the  little  purple 
aigrettes  erected.  Singular  modifications  of  this  sexnab 
display  of  the  plumage  occur  in  the  Argus  and  Golden 
Pheasant  and  other  species,  which  will  be  noticed  in  the 
chapters  relating  to  those  birds. 

In  a  state  of  nature  there  is  little  doubt  that  the  pheasant 
is  polygamous.  The  males  are  armed  with  spur.^,  with  whif^h 
they  fight,  the  stronger  driving  away  the  weaker,  and  the 
most  vigorous  propagate  their  kind. 

The  nest  of  the  female  is  usually  a  simple   hollow  scraped 


14  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

in  tlie  groand.  Afror  depositing  lier  eggs  (usually  about 
'eight  or  nine  in  number)  slie  is  deserted  by  the  male,  and  the 
task  of  incubation  and  rearing  the  young  depends  on  her 
alone.  The  eggs  vary  in  colour  from  a  greenish  brown  to  a 
greyish  green;  in  size  they  are,  on  the  average,  an  inch  and 
five-sixths  in  length,  by  an  inch  and  five- twelfths  in  width. 
The  period  of  incubation  is  twenty-four  days. 

Hen  pheasants,  like  common  fowls,  not  unfrcquently  have 
nests  in  common,  in  which  case  as  many  as  eighteen  or 
twenty  eggs  will  be  found  together.  {Sometimes  three  hens 
will  take  to  the  same  nest,  and  as  many  as  thirty  eggs  have 
been  seen  resulting  from  their  co-partnership.  It  is  still 
more  singular  that  the  pheasant  and  the  partridge  often  share 
the  same  nest.  (See  Zoologist,  1886,  p.  295,  in  which  volume 
also  will  be  found  mention  of  a  pheasant  and  wild  duck  sharing 
the  same  nest.)  Mr.  Walter  Yate,  of  Pemberton,  Shropshire, 
stated,  "About  a  week  ago  one  of  my  workmen  informed  me 
that  he  had  found  a  nest  containing  both  partridge's  and 
pheasant's  eggs.  I  accompanied  him  to  the  place,  and 
'there  saw  the  pheasant  and  partridge  seated  side  by  side 
^with  the  utmost  amity.  I  then  had  the  birds  driven  off,  and 
saw  fifteen  partridge's  and  sixteen  pheasant's  eggs  laid 
'indiscriminately  together.  The  eggs  were  placed  as  though 
•the  nest  had  been  common  to  both."  Another  correspondent 
■writes  :  "About  three  weeks  ago,  when  v^alking  round  a 
small  wood  belonging  to  me,  and  in  which  I  usually  breed  a 
good  sprinkle  of  pheasants,  I  discovered  a  partridge  sitting 
on  the  edge  of  the  bank  of  the  wood;  and  when  she  went  off 
to  feed  I  was  much  astonished  to  find  that  she  was  sitting  on 
nine  pheasant's  eggs  and  thirteen  of  her  own,  and,  after  sitting 
the  usual  time,  hatched  them  all  out."  Mr.  E,.  Bagnall-Wild 
records  that  "in  June  his  keeper  noticed  three  partridge 
nests,  with  thirteen,  eleven,  and  eleven  partridges'  eggs,  and 
four,  two,  and  two  pheasants'  respectively,  in  them.  He 
carefully  watched,  and  in  all  three  cases  found  that  the 
pheasants  were  hatched  with  the  young  partridges;    and  in 


STRUCTURE.  FOOD.  AND  HABITS.  15 

September  tlie  young  plieasants  still  kept  witK  their  respective 
coveys  of  partridges."  Sometimes  the  hen  pheasant,  and 
not  the  partridge,  is  the  foster  parent.  In  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Chcsham,  on  May  Q,  1873,  three  pheasants'  nests 
were  observed  to  contain  the  following  eggs  : — the  first,  on 
which  the  hen  was  sitting,  twenty-two  pheasant's  and  two 
French  partridge's  eggs ;  the  second,  eleven  pheasant's  and 
five  French  partridge's  eggs;  and  the  third,  six  pheasant's 
and  seven  French  partridge's  eggs.  Mr.  W.  D.  Collins,  of 
Cuckfield,  records  the  fact  that  he  found  a  grey  partridge 
sitting  on  twelve  of  her  own  eggs,  nine  eggs  of  the  red-legged 
partridge,  and  nine  pheasant's  eggs,  all  the  three  species 
having  layed  in  the  same  nest.  Mr.  Higgins,  of  Hambledon, 
states  that  "  A  pheasant  hatched  out,  in  a  piece  of  vetches  of 
mine,  seven  partridges  and  five  pheasants  on  July  6th.  She 
sat  on  nine  of  her  own  eggs  and  eight  partridge  eggs."  In 
some  cases  the  nest  is  even  of  a  more  composite  character, 
and  the  eggs  of  the  common  fowl,  and  those  of  partridges 
and  pheasants,  have  all  been  found  together ;  and  instances 
have  been  recorded  of  wild  hen  pheasants  laying  in  the  nests 
of  tame  and  also  of  wild  ducks,  and  in  the  nest  of  the  corn- 
crake. 

Although  there  is  usually  some  attempt  at  concealment 
Tinder  covert,  pheasants'  nests  are  not  unfrequently  placed, 
even  by  perfectly  wild  birds,  in  very  exposed  situations.  Mr. 
John  Walton,  of  Sholton  Hall,  Durham,  related  the  following 
account  of  the  singular  tameness  of  a  wild-bred  bird  :  "  A 
hen  pheasant — a  perfectly  wild  one  so  far  as  rearing  is  con- 
cerned, for  we  have  no  artificial  processes  here — selected  as  the 
site  for  her  nest  a  hedge  by  a  private  cart  road,  where  she  was 
exposed  to  the  constant  traffic  of  carts,  farm  servants,  and 
others,  passing  and  repassing  her  quarters,  all  of  which  she 
took  with  infinite  composure.  She  was  ver}'  soon  discovered 
on  her  nest,  and  actually  suffered  herself  when  sitting  to  be 
stroked  down  her  plumage  by  the  children  and  others  who 
■visited  her,  and  this  without   budging  an  inch.     In  fact,  she 


J6  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


seemed  rather  to  like  it.  Perhaps  she  became  a  pet  with  the- 
neighbours  from  this  unusual  docility,  and  her  brood  (fourteen 
in  number)  Avas  thereby  saved ;  for  every  egg  was  hatched,, 
and  the  young  birds  have  all  got  safely  away." 

Habitually  a  nester  on  the  ground,  the  hen  pheasant  will 
sometimes  select  the  deserted  nest  of  an  owl  or  squirrel  as  a 
place  for  the  disposition  and  incubation  of  her  eggs.  Several 
examples  of  this  occurrence  are  on  record,  but  the  following' 
may  suffice  to  prove  that  the  circumstance  is  not  so  unfrequent 
as  may  have  been  supposed.  One  correspondent  writes  as 
follows  :  "  Our  head  keeper  told  me  that  one  of  his  v/atchers 
had  found  a  pheasant's  nest  up  a  spruce  fir  tree.  I  was- 
incredulous,  sol  went  with  him,  and  had  the  under-man  there- 
to show  us.  The  bird  was  sitting  on  the  nest — an  old  squirrel's. 
The  man  said  she  had  twelve  eggs.  He  also  told  us  that  he 
knew  of  another  in  a  similar  situation  in  the  same  plantation. 
The  nest  I  saw  was  about  twelve  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
watchers  found  it  in  looking  for  nests  of  flying  vermin,  as 
some  had  escaped  the  traps." 

Another  states:  "A  keeper  on  the  Culhorn  estate,  when 
on  his  rounds  in  search  of  vermin,  observed  a  nest,  which  he 
took  to  be  that  of  a  hawk,  on  a  Scotch  fir  tree,  about  fifteen 
feet  from  the  ground.  On  throwing  up  a  stone  out  flew  a 
fine  hen  pheasant.  The  keeper  then  ascended  the  tree,  and 
found,  to  his  astonishment,  eight  pheasant's  eggs  in  an  old 
owl's  nest.  He  removed  the  eggs,  and  placed  them  under  a 
hen,  and  at  the  expiration  of  three  days  he  had  eight  fine 
lively  pheasant  birds." 

A  third  states  that  "  at  Chaddlewood,  near  Plympton, 
Devon,  a  pheasant  has  built  its  nest  (twelve  feet  from  the 
ground)  in  a  fork  of  an  ash  tree  close  to  the  house,  and  has 
now  laid  eight  eggs." 

It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  in  the  instances 
in  which  the  young  are  hatched  in  these  elevated  situations,, 
they  fall  out  of  the  nest  and  survive  or  are  killed  and  carried 
away    by    predatory    animals,    or    whether    they    are    safely 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD.  AND  HABITS.  17 

removed  by  tlie  parent  birds^  and  if  so^  by  wliat  means ;  even 
the  following  accounts  do  not  throw  much  light  upon  the 
subject.  In  the  Zoologist  for  1894  (p.  266)  the  late  Lord 
Lilford  wrote  that  a  pheasant  had  appropriated  a  wood- 
pigeon's  nest,  in  which  sho  laid  nine  eggs.  Three  young 
lairds  were  afterwards  found  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  tree 
which  contained  the  nest,  the  inference  being  that  the 
Temainder  of  the  bi'ood  had  reached  the  ground  in  safety.  A 
correspondent  of  The  Field  stated  that  "  A  hen  pheasant  made 
her  nest  in  an  oak  tree,  about  nine  feet  from  the  ground. 
'The  young  were  hatched,  and  she  succeeded  in  taking  seven 
young  ones  safely  to  the  ground,  leaving  five  dead  in  the  nest, 
■and  one  bad  egg."  A  second  stated  that  in  the  park  at 
Fillingham,  Lincoln,  a  pheasant  deposited  eight  eggs  in  the 
nest  of  a  woodpigeon  in  a  fir  tree  upwards  of  sixteen  feet 
from  the  ground  ;  she  hatched  out  seven  of  them,  but  was 
unfortunate,  as  four  were  killed ;  they  were  supposed  to  have 
fallen  from  the  nest.  A  third  reported  that  on  the  estate  of 
rthe  Marquis  of  Hereford,  at  Sudborne  Hall,  Suffolk,  a 
pheasant  had  taken  possession  of  a  nest  deserted  by  a  sparrow- 
hawk,  in  a  spruce  fir,  twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
hatched  eight  young  ones,  seven  of  which  she  succeeded  in 
bringing  safely  down,  but  in  what  manner  was  not  stated. 
Mr.  Arthur  Cole,  of  Eccles  Hall,  Attleborough,  Norfolk, 
writing  in  1897,  states  that  "  on  May  7  I  found  a  pheasant 
sitting  on  eight  eggs  in  an  old  squirrel's  nest  16ft.  7in.  from 
the  ground.  It  is  the  more  curious  as  the  nest  is  by  no  means 
on  strong  boughs,  and,  therefore,  must  sway  tremendously  as 
the  bird  goes  on  and  off." 

Although  as  a  rule  the  male  pheasant  takes  no  heed  of  the 
■eggs  laid  by  the  female,  or  of  the  ofispring  when  hatched, 
there  are  some  well  ascertained  exceptions.  Wild  cock 
pheasants  have  been  seen  sitting  in  nests  in  the  coverts  by 
perfectly  credible  witnesses;  and,  although  it  has  been 
suggested  that  the  birds  might  have  been  hens  that  had 
^assumed  the  male  plumage,  such  an  occurrence  is  even  more 

c 


IS  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


unlikely  than  tliat  a  cock  should  sit,  for  these  hens  are  always- 
perfectly  barren,  and  must  have  assumed  the  male  plumage  at 
the  previous  autumnal  moult ;  in  this  condition  they  have- 
never  been  known  to  manifest  the  slightest  desire  to  incubate. 
Cocks  have  also  been  known  to  protect  the  young  birds,  as  in. 
the  following  instance,  which  occurred  in  Aberdeenshire  :  "  1 
have  for  the  last  fortnight  almost  daily  watched  a  cock 
pheasant  leading  about  a  brood  of  young  ones,  whose  mother 
has  evidently  come  to  grief.  A  more  attentive  and  careful 
nurse  could  not  be  than  this  cock.  He  boldly  follows  his- 
young  charge  on  the  lawns  and  to  other  places  where  he  never 
ventured  before,  finds  them  food,  and  stands  sentry  over  them 
with  untiring  perseverance.  They  are  thriving  so  well  under 
his  care  and  growing  so  fast,  that  they  will  soon  be  able  to 
shift  for  themselves." 

The  same  singular  occurrence  has  also  taken  place  in  an 
aviary.  Lord  Willoughby  de  Broke  some  time  since  published 
the  following  letter  :  "  I  have  an  aviary  in  which  there  is  a 
cock  pheasant  and  four  or  five  hens  of  the  Chinese  breed  ;  at 
the  beginning  of  the  laying  season  the  cock  scraped  a  hole  in 
the  sand,  in  which  the  hens  laid  four  eggs;  he  then  collected 
a  quantity  of  loose  sticks,  formed  a  perfect  nest,  and  began  tO' 
sit ;  he  sat  most  patiently,  seldom  leaving  the  nest  till  the- 
eggs  were  chipped,  when  the  keeper,  afraid  of  his  killing 
them,  took  them  from  him,  and  placed  them  under  a  hen 
pheasant  who  was  sitting  on  bad  eggs  ;  they  were  hatched  the- 
next  day,  and  the  young  birds  are  now  doing  well."  Other 
cases  of  cock  pheasants  incubating  have  been  recorded  in 
The  Field  of  July  5  and  19,  1892. 

Pheasants  usually  commence  to  lay  in  this  country  in 
April  or  May,  the  date  varying  somewhat  with  the  season  and 
the  latitude.  The  eggs  of  penned  birds  have  been  found  in 
the  first  week  of  April,  and  even  in  the  last  week  of  March  (see- 
The  Field,  April  13,  1901).  In  consequence  of  the  artificial 
state  in  which  they  are  kept  in  preserves,  and  the  super- 
abundance of  food  with  which  they  are  supplied,  the  produc- 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS.  19 

tion  of  eggs,  as  in  domesticated  fowls,  often  takes  place  at 
most  irregular  periods.  Many  instances  are  recorded  of 
perfect  eggs  being*  found  in  the  oviducts  of  pheasants  shot 
during  the  months  of  December  and  January.  For  example. 
Sir  D.  W.  Legard,  writing  from  Ganton,  Yorkshire,  on 
December  27,  1864,  said  :  "  At  the  conclusion  of  a  day's 
covert  shooting  last  Tuesday,  a  hen  pheasant,  which  had  been 
killed,  was  discovered  by  a  keeper  to  have  a  lump  of  some 
hard  substance  in  her;  he  opened  her  in  my  presence,  when, 
to  my  astonishment,  he  extracted  an  egg  perfectly  formed, 
shelled,  and  apparently  ready  to  be  laid ;  it  was  of  the  usual 
size,  but  the  colour,  instead  of  being  olive,  was  a  greyish- 
white." 

A  nest  containing  an  egg  has  been  noticed  as  early  as 
the  12th  of  March,  and  many  cases  are  recorded  of  strong- 
nests  of  young  during  the  first  few  da^ys  of  May.  Lord 
AVarwick's  keeper,  J.  Edwards,  in  May,  1868,  wrote  as 
follows:  '' Yesterday  (the  6th  inst.),  whilst  searching  for 
pheasant  eggs  in  Grayfield  Wood,  I  came  upon  a  nest  of 
thirteen  pheasant  eggs,  twelve  just  hatched  and  run,  and  one 
left  cheeping  in  the  shell.  The  bird  must  have  begun  to  lay 
in  the  middle  of  March,  as  they  sit  twenty-five  days,  and 
do  not  very  often  lay  only  every  other  day,  at  least  at  the 
commencement."  Other  cases  earlier  by  three  or  four  days 
than  this  instance  have  been  recorded.  The  Rev.  Gr.  C. 
Green,  of  Modbury,  Devon,  writes  :  "On  Sunday,  April  18, 
1875,  as  my  curate  was  returning  from  taking  the  duty  in  a 
neighbouring  church,  a  hen  pheasant  started  from  the  road- 
side hedge  close  to  the  town,  and  fluttered  before  him.  While 
watching  her  movements  he  saw  eleven  young  pheasants, 
ajDpareutly  newly  hatched,  fluttering  in  the  hedge,  and  at  the 
edge  of  a  pond  close  by.  They  soon  scrambled  into  some 
cover,  and  the  mother  bird  flew  off  to  rejoin  them  from 
another  quarter.  I  understand,  from  inquii-y,  that  this  is  not 
a  solitary  instance  of  such  an  early  brood  of  pheasants  in 
South  Devon.'' 

c  2 


20  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


On  the  other  hand,  examples  of  nests  deferred  until  very- 
late  in  the  year  are  not  unknown.  Mr.  W.  W.  Blest,  of 
Biddenden,  near  Staplehurst,  writes :  "  Whilst  partridge 
shooting  on  September  3rd,  1874,  we  disturbed  a  sitting 
pheasant,  the  nest  containing  twelve  eggs.  We  often  hear 
of  the  early  nesting  of  game  birds,  but  rarely  so  late  in 
the  season."  In  October,  1869,  Mr.  Walter  E.  Tyrell,  of 
Plashwood,  near  Stowmarket,  forwarded  to  me  a  young 
pheasant,  with  the  following  letter :  "  When  pheasant 
shooting  with  some  friends  yesterday,  the  15th  inst.,  in  this 
neighbourhood,  one  of  the  beaters  picked  up  dead,  in  a  path 
in  the  wood  we  were  in,  a  very  young  chick  pheasant ;  it  could 
not  have  been  hatched  more  than  a  week.  My  keeper  tells 
me  he  has  found  them  (but  very  rarely)  as  young  in 
September.  I  forward  the  young  chick  to  you,  in  order 
that  you  may  inspect  it."  I  carefully  examined  the  young 
bird,  which  was  not  more  than  two  or  three  days  old.  On 
October  20,  1900,  Mr.  A.  Dannege,  of  Colchester,  forwarded 
to  me  a  pheasant  chick,  one  of  a  brood  in  a  hedgerow,  not 
near  to  any  covert.  These  late-hatched  birds  were  in  all 
probability  the  produce  of  a  second  laying  during  the 
season. 

The  artificial  state  in  which  these  birds  exist,  as  supplied 
with  nutritive  food  and  protected  in  our  coverts  and  preserves, 
leads  to  other  departures  from  their  natural  conditions.  Thus 
variations  of  plumage  and  size  are  much  more  frequent  and 
more  marked  than  would  occur  in  the  case  of  birds  in  a 
perfectly  wild  state.  In  some  instances  the  size  is  very 
greatly  increased.  Hen  pheasants  usually  weigh  from  two 
pounds  to  two  pounds  and  a  quarter,  whilst  the  usual  weight 
of  cock  pheasants  is  from  about  three  pounds  to  three  pounds 
and  a  half.  Yarrell,  in  his  ''History  of  British  Birds," 
mentions  two  unusually  large;  he  says  ''The  lighter  bird 
of  the  two  just  turned  the  scale  against  four  and  a  half 
pounds ;  the  other  took  the  scale  down  at  once.  The 
weights  were  accurately  ascertained,  in  the  presence  of  several 


STRUCTURE,  FOOD,  AND  HABITS.  21 

friends,  to  decide  a  wager  of  which  I  was  myself  the  loser." 
On  November  12,  1897,  a  cock  was  shot  at  Pluckley,  in  Kent, 
which  weighed  four  and  a  half  pounds.  One  of  five  pounds 
and  half  an  ounce  was  sent  me  by  Mr.  Carr,  of  the  Strand ; 
this  was  a  last  year's  bird  of  the  common  species.  And 
in  1859  one  bird,  of  the  enormous  weight  of  five  pounds  and 
three-quarters,  was  sent  by  Mr.  Akroyd,  of  Boddington 
Pai'k,  Nantwich,  to  Mr.  Shaw,  of  Shrewsbury,  for  preserva- 
tion. Mr.  Akroyd  further  stated  that  "  the  bird  was  picked 
up  with  broken  leg  and  wing  forty-eight  hours  after  the 
covert  was  shot,  so  had  probably  lost  weight  to  some  extent." 
In  reply  to  the  suggestion  that  it  might  possibly  have  been  a 
large  hybrid  between  the  pheasant  and  the  domestic  fowl, 
Mr.  Akroyd  further  stated  '^that  the  bird  looked  all  its 
weight,  and  was  as  distinguished  amongst  its  fellows  as  a 
turkey  would  be  amongst  fowls;  yet  it  had  no  hybrid 
appearance  whatever " ;  and  Mr.  Shaw  stated  that  he 
weighed  it  several  times.  Moreover,  he  said,  ''the  bird,  had 
it  been  picked  up  when  shot,  would,  I  have  little  doubt,  have 
weighed  six  pounds,  there  being  nothing  in  its  craw  but  two 
single  grains  of  Indian  corn ;  and  when  the  length  of  time  it 
remained  wounded  on  the  ground,  with  a  broken  thigh  and 
wing,  is  taken  into  consideration,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of 
the  fact.^'  But  the  largest  on  record  was  described  in 
vol.  xlvi.,  p.  179,  of  The  Field.  G.  C.  G.  writes:  "I  have 
received  the  following  from  Mr.  Kelly  in  consequence  of  a 
discussion  in  The  Field  about  the  weight  of  a  pheasant : 
'  Some  few  years  since,  while  Admiral  Sir  Houston  Stewart 
was  residing  at  Ganton,  he  sent  me  a  pheasant  that  weighed 
61b.  wanting  loz.  He  was  an  old  bird,  and  the  most  splendid 
in  form  and  plumage  that  I  ever  beheld.  A  few  days  after- 
wards being  at  Ganton,  I  told  Sir  Houston  that  I  had 
weighed  the  bird,  but  I  thought  my  weights  must  be 
incorrect,  and  asked  him  whether  he  knew  its  weight.  He 
said,  "  You  are  quite  right.  I  weighed  it  before  I  sent  it  to 
you,  and  that  is  my  weight."  ' "    In  these  cases  of  exceptionally 


22  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


large  birds,  it  is  usually  found  that  the  extreme  weight  is 
owing  to  the  fattening  influence  of  the  maize  on  which  they 
have  been  fed. 


The  species    of    pheasants  enumerated  by  Mr.  Ogilvie  Grant  in  his 
work  on  Game  Birds  are  as  follows: — 

1.  The  Common  Pheasant  (Phasianus  colchicus). 

2.  The  Persian  Pheasant  {P.  persicus). 

3.  Priuee  of  Wales'  Pheasant  (P.  principalis). 

4.  Zerafshan  Pheasant  (P.  zerafshanicus) . 

5.  Shaw's  Pheasant  (P.  shawi). 

6.  Tarim  Pheasant  (P.  tarimensis). 

7.  Oxus  Pheasant  (P.  chrysomelas). 

8.  Mong'olian  Pheasant  (P.  mongolicus). 

9.  Chinese  Pheasant  (P.  torquatus). 

10.  The  Satsehen  Pheasant  (P.  satscheunensis). 

11.  Formosan  Pheasant  {P.  formosanus) . 

12.  Chinese  Riugless  Pheasant  (P.  decollatus). 

13.  Strauch's  Piieasaut  (P.  strauchi). 

14.  Vlangali's  Pheasant  (P.  vlangalii). 

15.  Stone's  Pheasant  (P.  elegans). 

16.  Japanese  Pheasant  (P.  versicolor). 

17.  Soemmerring's  Pheasant  (P.  scemmerringi). 

18.  Reeves's  Plieasant  (P.  reevesii)  ; 

in  addition  to  which  Mr.  H.  E.  Dresser  has  described  the  following  new 
Japanese  species  in  The  Ibis  for  1902,  p.  656  : 

19.  Ijima's  Pheasant  (P.  ijimce)  ; 

and  the  Hon.  Walter  E/othschild  the  following  species  in  the  Bulletin 
of  the  British  Ornithologists'  Club,  vol.  xii.,  p.  20: 

20.  Berezowsky's  Pheasant  (P.  berezowsJcyi). 

21.  Hagcnbeck's  Pheasant  (P.  liagenbecM) ; 

and  to  these  should  be  added  the  closely  allied  birds  which  have  been 
put  in  the  genus  Calopliasis.  These  differ  only  from  the  other  pheasants 
in  having  sixteen  tail  feathei's,  and  the  lower  back  of  the  males  trans- 
versely barred.     Two  species  only  are  known : 

22.  Elliot's  Pheasant  {Galophasis  ellioii). 

23.  Hume's  Pheasant  (C  hutnice). 


CHAPTER    II 


NATURAL   HISTORY   OF   THE   PHEASANTS 
(CONTINUED). 


NON  -  DOMESTICITY  —  INTRODUCTION    INTO 
BRITAIN— DISTRIBUTION. 

J-T   1  S   sometimes  suggested  by  persons  ignorant   of 
'i     tlie  true  nature  of  the  pheasant,  that  it  might  be 
?j^^*i      domesticated  and  reared  like    our  ordinary  farm- 
^W      y^-r*!  fowl.      Such  persons    are  apparently  not  aware 
that  the  instinct  of  domestication  is  one  of  the   rarest 


possessed  by  animals.  Man  has  been  for  some  thou- 
sands of  3'ears  capturing,  subduing,  and  taming  hundreds  of 
different  species  of  animals  of  all  classes ;  but  of  these  the 
number  that  he  has  succeeded  in  really  domesticating  does 
not  amount  to  fifty.  A  very  large  proportion  of  animals 
are  capable  of  being  tamed,  and  rendered  perfectly  familiar 
with  man ;  but  this  is  a  totally  distinct  state  from  one  of 
domestication.  The  common  pheasant  is  a  good  example  of 
this  distinction.  Individual  examples  may  be  rendered  so 
taiue  as  to  become  even  troublesome  from  their  courage  and 
familiarity ;  but  although  others  have  been  bred  in  aviaries 
for  many  generations,  their  offspring  still  retain  their  original 
W'ilduess,  and  when  let  out  at  large  betake  themselves  to 
the  woods  and  coverts  as  soon  as  able  to  shift  for  themselves. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  allied  species,  the  jungle  fowl  {Gallus 
ferrugineus) ,  the  original  of  our  domestic  breeds  of  poultry, 
if  reared  in  confinement,  becomes  immediately   domesticated, 


24  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


the  young  returning  home  at  night  with  a  regularity  that 
has  given  rise  to  the  proverbial  saying  that  "  Curses,  like 
chickens,  return  home  to  roost," 

Examples  of  the  tameness  of  individual  pheasants  are  not 
rare ;  to  the  fearless  nature  of  a  sitting  hen  I  have  already 
alluded.  The  males  become  oven  more  familiar,  and  at 
times  aggressive  ;  one  of  the  most  amusing  examples  was- 
recorded  some  time  since  by  a  correspondent,  who  wrote  as 
follows  :  "  Having  recently  been  on  a  visit  to  a  friend  of  mine 
living  in  Kent,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  there  witnessing  th& 
effect  of  an  extraordinary  antipathy  to  crinoline  exemplified 
in  a  fine  cock  pheasant  which  inhabited,  or  rather  infested,, 
the  grounds  and  shrubbery.  He  had  been  originally,  I  believe,, 
reared  on  the  premises,  but  had  become  as  wild  as  any  of  his 
fellows,  and,  after  having  been  lord  of  a  harem  of  some  seven 
or  eight  ladies  last  spring,  who  had  all  reared  their  families 
and  gone  off  with  them,  had  been  left  in  loneliness,  with  his- 
temper  soured  against  the  female  sex  at  large.  His  beat  was 
for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  between  the  house  and  the- 
entrance-gate,  and  on  the  approach  of  anything  in  the  shape 
of  crinoline  his  temper  was  roused  to  such  a  degree  that  he 
attacked  it  with  all  his  might  and  main,  flying  up  at  the 
unnatural  appendage,  pecking  fiercely  with  his  bill,  and 
striking  out  at  it  with  his  spurs  like  any  game-cock.  I 
witnessed  all  this  with  my  own  eyes,  and  was  not  surprised 
at  the  terror  he  had  created  among  the  females  by  whom  he 
was  positively  dreaded,  and  not  without  reason.  One  lady  had 
promised  to  protect  herself  by  taking  a  terrier  as  her 
guardian,  who  at  first  offered  fight  in  her  defence,  but  was 
soon  compelled  to  show  the  white  feather,  and  at  the  very 
sight  of  his  antagonist  ran  off  with  his  tail  between  his  legs. 
At  length,  however,  he  met  with  his  master  in  the  shape  of  a 
gipsy-woman,  who,  being  of  course  uncrinolined,  and  there- 
fore considering  herself  unjustly  attacked,  set  upon  him,  and 
not  only  pulled  out  his  tail,  but  crushed  him  with  her  foot^ 
and  left  him  on  his  back  apparently  in  the  agonies   of   deatli.. 


NOX-DOMESTICIT  Y—DISTRIB  UTION. 


The  domestics,  liowever,  weut  to  liis  assistance,  and  by  their 
kind  attentions  he  was  restored.  Still,  his  old  antipathy 
revived  with  his  returning  strength,  and  in  a  day  or  two  the 
sight  of  crinoline  again  roused  his  wrath.  Therefore,  lor 
fear  of  his  meeting  with  an  untimely  end  from  some  other 
strong-minded  woman,  it  was  decided  that  he  should  have  his 
wing  clipped,  and  be  kept  prisoner  within  the  walls  of  the 
kitchen-garden." 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Barnes  (formerly  head  keeper  to  Mr.  D. 
Wynham,  of  Denton  Hall,  near  Salisbury)  carefully  nursed 
a  very  young  hen  pheasant  with  a  broken  leg.  She  got 
well,  and  in  course  of  time  was  turned  out  with  the  rest  of 
the  brood  into  the  adjacent  woods.  For  several  seasons 
after\Yards  this  hen  brought  her  own  brood  to  the  keeper's, 
lodge. 

Mr.  T.  B.  Johnson,  in  his  "  Gamekeeper's  Directory," 
mentions  one  he  had  reared  from  the  nest  that  became 
uncommonly  familiar.  "  It  will  follow  me,"  he  writes,  "  into- 
the  garden  or  homestead,  where  it  will  feed  on  insects  and 
grass,  and  I  occasionally  observed  it  swallow  large  worms. 
Of  all  things,  however,  flies  appear  to  be  its  favourite  food. 
Before  he  was  able  to  fly,  I  frequently  lifted  him  into  the 
window,  and  it  was  truly  amusing  to  witness  his  dexterity  in 
fiy  catching.  He  had  been  named  Dick,  to  which  he  answers 
as  well  as  possible.  Dick  is  a  very  social  being,  who  cannot 
endure  being  left  alone;  and  if  it  so  happen  (as  it 
occasionally  does)  that  the  bird  finds  every  person  has  quitted 
the  room,  he  immediately  goes  in  search  of  some  of  the 
family ;  if  the  door  be  shut,  and  his  egress  thus  denied,  he 
uttej-s  the  most  plaintive  noise,  evidently  testifying  every 
symptom  of  uneasiness  and  fear  in  being  separated  from  his 
friends  and  protectors.  Dick  is  a  great  favourite,  and  on 
this  account  is  suffered  to  take  many  liberties.  When 
breakfast  is  brought  in  he  jumps  on  the  table,  and  very 
unceremoniously  helps  himself  to  bread,  or  to  whatever  he 
takes  a  fancy;    but,  different  from   the  magpie  or   jackdaw 

D.  H.  HILL  LIBPvARY 

.      ^  I.  r..     .,    A'^ll 


20  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

under  similar  circumstances,  Dick  is  easily  checked.  He  is 
fond  of  stretching  himself  in  the  sunbeams ;  and  if  this  be 
not  attainable,  before  the  kitchen  fire.  On  being  taken  into 
the  house  he  was  presented  to  the  view  of  the  cat,  the  latter 
at  the  same  time  given  to  understand  that  the  bird  was 
privileged,  and  that  she  must  not  disturb  him.  The  cat  is 
evidently  not  fond  of  Dick  as  an  inmate,  but  she  abstains 
from  violence.  I  have  seen  her,  it  is  true,  give  him  a  blow 
with  her  paw,  but  this  only  occurs  when  the  bird  attempts  to 
take  bread,  &c.,  from  her;  and  not  always  then,  as  she 
frequently  suffers  herself  to  be  robbed  by  him.  Dick  has  also 
made  friends  with  my  pointers.  He  sleeps  in  my  bed- 
room, but  is  by  no  means  so  early  a  riser  as  his  fraternity  in 
a  state  of  nature ;  however,  when  ho  comes  forth  his  antics 
are  amusing  enough ;  he  shakes  himself,  jumps  and  flies 
about  the  room  for  several  minutes,  and  then  descends  into 
the  breakfast-room.'"  Whether  this  bird  would  or  would  not 
have  continued  tame  and  domesticated  during  the  following 
iDreeding  season  was  unfortunately  never  ascertained,  as  it 
partook  of  the  fate  of  most  pets,  and  was  killed  accidentally 
by  the  opening  of  a  door. 

The  incapacity  of  pheasants  for  domestication  has  been 
remarked  by  all  those  who  have  tried  in  vain  to  rear  them  as 
domestic  birds.  Mr.  Charles  Waterton,  of  Walton  Hall,  York- 
shire, who  died  in  1865,  made  the  attempt  under  most  advan- 
tageous circumstances,  and  thus  recounts  the  results  of  his 
experiments  :  "  Notwithstanding  the  proximity  of  the  pheasant 
to  the  nature  of  the  barndoor  fowl,  still  it  has  that  within  it 
which  baffles  every  attempt  on  our  part  to  render  its  domesti- 
cation complete.  What  I  allude  to  is,  a  most  singular  innate 
timidity,  which  never  fails  to  show  itself  on  the  sudden  and 
abrupt  appearance  of  an  object.  I  spent  some  months  in 
trying  to  overcome  this  timorous  propensity  in  the  pheasant, 
but  I  failed  completely  in  the  attempt.  The  young  birds,  which 
liad  been  hatched  under  a  domestic  hen,  soon  became  very 
tame,  and  would  even  receive  food  f rora  the  hand  when  it  was 


NON-DOMESTICITY— DIS  TBIB  UTION.  2  7 


■ofTered  cautiously  to  them.  They  would  fly  up  to  the  window, 
aud  would  feed  in  company  with  the  common  poultry,  but  if 
anybody  approached  them  unawares,  off  they  went  to  the 
nearest  covert  with  surprising  velocity  ;  they  remained  in  it 
till  all  was  quiet,  and  then  returned  with  their  usual  con- 
fidence. Two  of  them  lost  their  lives  in  the  water  by  the 
unexpected  appearance  of  a  pointer,  while  the  barndoor  fowls 
seemed  scarcely  to  notice  the  presence  of  the  intruder;  the 
rest  took  finally  to  the  woods  at  the  commencement  of  the 
breeding  season.  This  particular  kind  of  timidity,  which 
does  not  appear  in  our  domestic  fowls,  seems  to  me  to  oppose 
the  only,  though  at  the  same  time  an  unsurmountable,  bar  to 
our  final  ti'iumph  over  the  pheasant.  After  attentive 
observation,  I  can  perceive  nothing  else  in  the  habits  of  the 
bird  to  serve  as  a  clue  by  which  we  may  be  enabled  to  trace 
the  cause  of  failure  in  the  many  attempts  which  have  been 
made  to  invite  it  to  breed  in  our  yards,  and  retire  to  rest  with 
the  barndoor  fowl  and  turkey.'' 

With  regard  to  the  date  of  the  introduction  of  the 
pheasant  into  England,  there  are  no  records  which  afford  any 
clue  to  the  period  when  it  was  first  brought  into  this  country ; 
and  though  probably  its  acclimatisation  does  not  date  further 
back  than  the  Norman  Conquest,  yet  it  is  possible  that  our 
Roman  invaders  may  have  imported  it  at  a  much  earlier 
period,  with  other  imperial  luxuries. 

Lord  Lilford  in  his  "Notes  on  the  Birds  of  Northarapton- 
shii'e/'  writes  :  "  There  appears  to  be  no  reason  to  doubt  that 
the  pheasant  was  introduced  into  England  by  the  Eomans^ 
and  the  bird  has  now  become  so  spread  over  most  parts 
of  Europe  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  say  where  it  is  really 
indigenous." 

This  suggestion  is  possibly  near  the  truth,  for  the  pheasant 
has  been  shown  by  Prof.  Boyd  Dawkins  to  have  been 
naturalised  in  this  country  upwards  of  eight  hundred  years. 
Writing  to  The  Ibis  for  1869  (page  358),  that  gentleman  says: 
"It  may  interest  your  readers  to  know  that  the  most  ancient 


28  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


record  of  tlie  occurrence  of  tlie  pheasant  in  Great  Britain  is. 
to  be  found  in  the  tract  '  De  inventione  Sanctas  Crucis  nostree 
in  Monte  Acuto  at  de  ductione  ejusdem  apud  Waltham/ 
edited  from  manuscripts  in  the  British  Museum  by  Professor 
Stubbs,  and  published  in  1861.  The  bill  of  fare  drawn  up  by- 
Harold  for  the  Canons'  households  of  from  six  to  seven, 
persons,  A.D.  1059,  and  preserved  in  a  manuscript  of  the 
date  of  circa  1177,  was  as  follows  (p.  16)  : 

Erant  autem  tales  pitantise  unicuiqiie  canonico  :  a  festo  Sancti  Michaelis- 
usque  ad  caput  jejunii  [Ash  Wednesday]  ant  xii  merulse,  aut  ii  aganseae- 
\_Agace,  a  magpie  (?),  Ducangel,  aut  ii  perdices,  ant  unns  pliasianus, 
reliquis  temporibns  ant  ancge  TGreese,  Ducancje]  ant  gallinae. 

''Now  the  point  of  this  passage  is  that  it  shows  that 
Phasianus  colcMcus  had  become  naturalised  in  England  before 
the  Norman  invasion;  and  as  the  English  and  Danes  were  not. 
the  introducers  of  strange  animals  in  any  well  authenticated 
case,  it  offers  fair  presumptive  evidence  that  it  was  introduced 
by  tho  Roman  conquerors,  who  naturalised  the  fallow  deer  in 
Britain." 

"  The  eating  of  magpies  at  "VValtham,  though  singular, 
was  not  as  remarkable  as  the  eating  of  horse  by  the  monks  of 
St.  Galle  in  the  time  of  Charles  the  Great  and  the  returning- 
thanks  to  God  for  it : 

Sit  feralis  equi  caro  dnlcis  sub  crnce  Cliristi ! 

The  bird  was  not  so  unclean  as  the  horse — the  emblem  of 
paganism — was  unholy." 

But  the  conclusion  that  the  pheasant  was  introduced  into- 
England  before  the  Norman  Conquest  is  not  regarded  as- 
proved  by  those  authorities  who  consider  the  tract  "  De- 
inventione  Crucis"  as  a  miracle-mongering  work  that  no 
cautious  antiquary  would  accept  as  conclusive  evidence. 

In  Dugdale's  "Monasticon  Anglicanum "  is  a  reference- 
by  which  it  appears  that  the  Abbot  of  Amesbury  obtained  a 
licence  to  kill  hares  and  pheasants  in  the  first  years  of  the- 


NON-DOMESTICITY— DISTRIBUTION.  29 


reign  of  King  Henry  the  First,  which  commenced  on  the 
second  of  August,  1100;  and  Daniell,  in  his  "Eural  Sports," 
quotes  "  Echard's  History  of  England  "  to  the  effect  that  in 
the  year  1299  (the  twenty- seventh  of  Edward  I.)  the  price 
•of  a  pheasant  was  fourpence,  a  couple  of  woodcocks  three- 
halfpence,  a  mallard  three-halfpence,  and  a  plover  one 
penny. 

'^  To  these  notices,"  writes  the  Rev.  James  Davis  in  the 
■Saturday  Review,  "might  have  been  added  another  which 
seems  to  set  the  pheasant  at  a  higher  premium — to  wit, 
that  in  1170  Thomas  a  Becket,  on  the  day  of  his  martyrdom, 
•dined  on  a  pheasant,  and  enjoyed  it,  as  it  would  seem  from 
the  remark  of  one  of  his  monks,  that  '  he  dined  more  heartily 
.and  cheerfully  that  day  than  usual.' " 


Those  who  are  interested  in  the  subject  will  find  a  most 
interesting  series  of  extracts  respecting  the  mediteval  history 
of  this  bird  in  Mr.  Harting's  "  Ornithology  of  Shakespeare," 
from  which  we  quote  the  following  : 

"  Leland,  in  his  account  of  the  feast  given  at  the  inthronisa- 
tion  of  George  Nevell,  Archbishop  of  York,  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  IV.,  tells  us  that,  amongst  other  good  things,  two 
hundred  '  fesauntes '  were  provided  for  the  guests. 

"In  the  'Privy  Purse  Expenses  of  Elizabeth  of  York,' 
under  date  *  the  xiiij'^  day  of  Novembre,'  the  following  entry 
•occurs  : 

" '  Itm.  The  same  dav  to  Eicliard  Myluer  of 
Byndfeld  for  bringing  a  present  of  fesauntes 
cokkes  to  the  Queen  to  Westminster  ...  vs.' 

"In  the  'Household  Book'  of  Henr}^  Percy,  fifth  Earl 
■of  Northumberland,  which  w^as  commenced  in  1512,  the 
pheasant  is  thus  referred  to  : 

"  '  Item,  Fesauntes  to  be  had  for  my  Lordes  own  Mees  at 
Principall  Feestes  and  to  be  at  xijd.  apece. 


PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


" '  Item,  Fessaxtntis  for  mj  Lordes  owne  Meas  to  be  hadde 
at  Principalle  Feistis  and  to  be  xijd.  a  pece.'  * 

"In  the  year  1536,  Henry  VIII.  issued  a  proclamation  iu 
order  to  preserve  the  partridges,  pheasants,  and  herons 
'  from  his  palace  at  Westminster  to  St,  Giles-in-the-Fields, 
and  from  thence  to  Islington,  Hampstead,  Highgate,  and 
Hornsey  Park.'  Any  person,  of  whatever  rank,  who  should 
presume  to  kill,  or  in  any  wise  molest  these  birds,  was  to  be 
thrown  into  prison,  and  visited  by  such  other  punishments  as- 
to  the  King  should  soon  seem  meet. 

"  Some  interesting  particulars  in  regard  to  pheasants  are 

*  "As  a  copy  of  the  'Northumberland  Household  Book'  is  not  readily 
accessible,  we  give  the  following  interesting  extract,  showing  the  price 
at  that  date,  of  various  birds  for  the  table  : 

'  Capons  at  iid.  a  pece  leyn  (lean).  Pettryges  at  iid.  a  pece. 

Chickeyus  at  ^d.  a  jjece.  Redeslianks  i^d. 

Hennys  at  iid.  a  pece.  Bytters  {i.e.  Bitterns)  xiid. 

Swanuys  (no  price  stated).  Fesauutes  xiid. 

Geysse  iiid.  or  iiiid.  at  the  moste.  Reys  {i.e.  Ruffs  and  Reeves)  iid. 

Pluvers  id.  or  i^d.  at  moste.  a  pece. 

Cranys  xvid.  a  pece.  Sholardes  vid.  a  pece. 

HearonseAvys    {i.e.  Heroushaws  or  Kyrlewes  xiid.  a  pece. 

Herons)  xiid.  a  pece.  Pacokes  xiid.  a  pece. 

Mallardes  iid.  a  pece.  See-Pyes  (no  j)rice). 

Woodcokes   id.     or     l§d.    at   the  Wegious  at  iid.  the  pece. 

moste.  Kuottes  id.  a  pece. 

Teylles  id.  a  pece.  Dottrells  id.  a  pece. 

Wypes  {i.e.  Lapwings)  id.  a  pece.  Bustardes  (no  price). 

Seegulles  id.  or  iid.  at  the  moste.  Ternes  after  iii.  a  id. 

Styntes  after  vi.  a  id.  Great  byrdes  after  iiii.  a  id. 

Quay  lies  iid.  a  pece  at  moste.  Small  byi-des  after  xii.  for  iid. 

Snypes  after  iii.  a  id.  Larkys  after  xii.  for  iid.' 

"  This  extract  is  especially  interesting  as  throwing  light  incidentally  on 
the  condition  of  the  country ;  the  unreclaimed  state  of  the  land  is  shown 
])y  the  abundance  and  cheapness  of  the  wading  bii'ds.  Woodcocks  at  a 
penny,  and  snipes  at  tlu'ce  a  x^enny,  contrast  strongly  with  partridges  at 
twopence  and  pheasants  and  peacocks  at  twelvepeuce  each.  Nor  is  the 
change  in  the  degree  of  estimation  in  which  the  birds  are  now  held  less 
remarkalile.  Curlews,  herons,  and  bitterns,  which  are  now  scarcely  valued 
as  edible,  ranked  equal  to  pheasants  aind  peacocks,  and  were  three  or  four 
times  the  value  of  a  grouse,  whilst  »  fishy  sea-gull  wixs  worth  two  or  three^ 
chicken  or  one  woodcock. 


NON-DOMESTICITY— BISTBJB  UTION.  3 1 


furnislied  by  the  'Privy  Purse  Expenses  of  King  Henry  YIII/ 
For  example,  under  date  xvj'^  Nov.  1532,  we  have  : 

"  '  Itm  the  same  daye  paied  to  the  fesaunt 

breder  in  rewarde  ...  ...  ...  ixs.     iiijd. 

"  '  Itm  the  XXV  daye  paied  to  the  preste  the 
fesaunt  breder  at  Elthm  in  rewarde  ij 
corons      ...  ...  ...         ixs.     iiijd.' 

"  And  in  December  of  the  same  year  : 

"'Itm  the  xxijd.  daye  paied  to  the  french 
Preste  the  fesaunt  breder  for  to  bye 
him  a  gowne  and  other  necesarys        ...         xls.' 

"  From  these  entries  it  would  appear  that  even  at  this- 
date  some  trouble  and  expense  was  incurred  in  rearing- 
pheasants.  No  allusion,  however,  is  made  to  their  being  shot^ 
They  must  have  been  taken  in  a  net  or  snare,  or  killed  with 
a  hawk.  The  last-named  mode  is  indicated  from  another 
source :* 

"  '  Item,  a  Fesant  kylled  with  the  Goshawke. 

"  '  A  notice,  two  Fesants  and  two  Partridges  killed  with  the 
hawks.' 

"  As  a  rule  they  are  only  referred  to  as  being  '  brought 
in,^  the  bearer  receiving  a  gratuity  for  his  trouble. 

" '  Jan''-  1536-7.  Itfii.  geuen  to  Hunte 
yeoman  of  the  pultry,  bringing  to  hir 
gee  two  qwicke  (i.e.  live)  phesants     ...         vijs.     vjd. 

"  *  Ap'-  1537.  Itih.  geuen  to  Grene  the 
ptrich  taker  bringing  a  cowple  of 
Phesaunts  to  my  lady's  grace iijs.     ixd. 

" '  Jan.  1537-8.  Ttin.  geuen  to  my  lady 
Carow's  s'uht  bringing  a  quick 
Phesaunt  ...         ...         ...         ...         ijs. 

"'Jan.  1543-4.  Itih.  geuen  to  Hawkyn, 
s'uhte  of  Hertford  bringing  a  phesant 
and  ptrichesf      ...         ...  ...  ...         iijs.  iiijd.' 

*  "  '  Extracts  from  the  Household  and  Pri^-y  Purse  Accounts  of  the 
L'Estranges  of  Hunstautou,  1519—1578.'   (Trans.  Roy.  Soc.  Antiq.  (1833.) 

f'Tlie  Privy  Purse  Expenses  of  the  Princess  Maiy,  1536 — 1544.' 
(Edited  by  Sir  F.  Madden,  1831.) 


■;32  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

"  In  a  survey  of  the  possessions  of  the  Abbey  of  Glaston- 
bury made  in  1539,  mention  is  made  of  a  'game'  of  sixteen 
l^heasants  in  the  woods  at  Meare,  a  manor  near  Glastonbury 
belonging  to  the  Abbey. 

"  The  value  set  upon  pheasants  and  partridges  at  various 
periods,  as  shown  by  the  laws  fixing  penalties  for  their 
•destruction,  seems  to  have  fluctuated  considerably. 

"  By  a  statute  passed  in  the  eleventh  year  of  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.  it  was  fordidden  *to  take  pheasants  or  partridges 
with  engines  in  another's  ground  without  licence  in  pain  of 
ten  pound,  to  be  divided  between  the  owner  of  the  ground 
and  the  prosecutor.'  By  23  JCliz.  c.  10,  'None  should 
kill  or  take  pheasants  or  partridges  by  night  in  pain 
of  2O5.  a  pheasant,  and  10s.  a  partridge,  or  one  month's 
imprisonment,  and  bound  with  sureties  not  to  offend 
again  in  the  like  kind.'  By  1  Jac.  I.  c.  27,  'No 
person  shall  kill  or  take  any  pheasant,  partridge  (&c.), 
or  take  or  destroy  the  eggs  of  pheasants,  partridges  (&c.), 
in  pain  of  20s.,  or  imprisonment  for  every  fowl  or  egg, 
and  to  find  sureties  in  £20  not  to  offend  iu  the  like  kind.' 
Under  the  same  statute,  no  person  was  permitted  '  to  buy  or 
sell  any  pheasant  or  partridge,  upon  pain  or  forfeit  of  20s.  for 
■  every  pheasant,  and  10s.  for  every  partridge.'  By  7  Jac.  1. 
c.  11,  'Every  person  having  hawked  at  or  destroyed  any 
pheasant  or  partridge  between  the  1st  of  July  and  last  of 
August,  forfeited  40s.  for  every  time  so  hawking,  and  20s.  for 
every  pheasant  or  partridge  so  destroyed  or  taken.'  Lords 
of  manors  and  their  servants  might  take  pheasants  and 
partridges  iu  their  own  grounds  or  precincts  in  the  daytime 
between  Michaelmas  and  Christmas.  But  every  person  of  a 
mean  condition  having  killed  or  taken  any  pheasant  or 
partridge,  forfeited  20s.  for  each  one  so  killed,  and  had  to 
find  surety  in  £20  not  to  offend  so  again." 

For  an  early  notice  of  the  pheasant  in  Suffolk,  namely  in 
1467,  Mr.  Harting  has  referred  me  to  the  household  expenses 
of  Sir  John  Howard,  Knight,  afterwards  Duke  of  Norfolk, 


INTRODUCTION  INTO  BRITAIN.  33 

edited  by  Beriah  Botfield  for  the  Roxburgh  Club,  wherein 
(at  p.  399),  under  date  of  April,  1467^  at  Ipswich,  there  is 
the  entry :  "  Item  xii,  fesawntes  pryse  xiig."  He  adds  that 
there  is  apparently  no  earlier  mention  of  the  pheasants  in 
Norfolk  than  some  reference  in  the  accounts  of  the 
L'Estranges  at  Hunstanton  in  1519,  and  the  entry  above 
quoted  is  the  earliest  for  Suffolk.  Mr.  Harting  further 
informs  me  that  he  has  seen  an  ancient  Psalter  belonging  to 
Lord  Aldenham,  in  which  there  is  a  very  fair  coloured 
portrait  of  a  cock  pheasant,  dated  a.d.  1260. 

In  Essex  the  pheasant  is  mentioned  in  a  bill  of  fare, 
A.D.  1059  (as  already  noticed),  and  this  is  apparently  the 
earliest  allusion  to  the  bird  to  be  found  in  any  part  of 
England. 

In  Ireland,  as  stated  by  Thompson  in  his  natural 
history  of  that  country,  ''The  period  of  its  introduction 
is  unknown  to  me,  but  in  the  year  1589  it  was  remarked  to  be 
common."  Fynes  Moryson,  who  was  in  Ireland  from  1599  to 
1603,  observes  that  there  are  "  such  plenty  of  pheasants  as  I 
have  known  sixty  served  up  at  one  feast,  and  abound  much 
more  with  rails,  but  partridges  are  somewhat  scarce." 

In  Scotland  the  pheasant  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
preserved  at  a  very  early  period.  Mr.  R.  Gray,  in  his  work 
on  "  The  Birds  of  the  West  of  Scotland,"  says  :  "  The  first 
mention  of  the  pheasant  in  old  Scotch  Acts  is  in  one  dated 
June  8,  1594,  in  which  year  a  keen  sportsman  occupied  the 
Scottish  throne."  He  might  have  been  called  "James  the 
protector"  of  all  kinds  of  game,  as  in  the  aforesaid  year  he 
"  ordained  that  quhatsumever  person  or  personnes  at  ony  time 
hereafter  shall  happen  to  slay  deir,  harts,  pheasants,  foulls, 
partricks,  or  other  wyld  foule  quhatsumever,  ather  with  gun, 
croce  bow,  dogges,  halks,  or  girnes,  or  by  uther  ingine 
quhatsumever,  or  that  beis  found  schutting  with  ony  gun 
therein,"  &c.,  &c.,  shall  pay  the  usual  "  hundreth  punds."  &c- 

The  distribution  of  the  pheasant  over  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  at  the  present  time  is  very  general,  it  being  found  in 

D 


34  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

all  parts  of  the  kingdom  where  there  is  congenial  shelter  and 
some  slight  attempt  at  preservation  and  protection,  without 
which  it  would  soon  be  extirpated  bj^  poachers  and  its 
numerous  natural  enemies. 

It  is  abundant  even  in  the  most  populous  counties,  and  is 
not  at  all  uncommon  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the 
metropolis  ;  but  it  is  in  the  well- wooded  and  highly  preserved 
districts  of  England  that  these  birds  most  abound,  and  where 
they  are  excessively  numerous.  "  The  pheasant/^  writes  Mr. 
Sterland,  in  his  ''  Birds  of  Sherwood  Forest/^  "  abounds  on  all 
the  estates  in  the  forest  district,  and  to  such  an  extent  that 
few  would  credit  the  immense  numbers.  They  are  almost  as 
tame  as  barndoor  fowls,  and  may  be  seen  on  the  skirts  of  the 
various  plantations.  Carefully  tended  and  fed,  and  all  their 
natural  enemies  destroyed,  they  become  so  accustomed  to  the 
presence  of  man  that  in  many  parts  they  will  hardly  take  the 
trouble  to  get  out  of  the  way,  and  are  scarcely  entitled  to  the 
appellation  of  wild.  Under  circumstances  so  favourable  they 
multiply  rapidly,  but  a  natural  limit  seems  to  be  set  to  their 
increase,  and  frequently,  where  they  are  most  abundant,  large 
numbers  are  found  dead  without  apparent  cause ;  these  are 
always  exceedingly  fat  and  their  plumage  in  the  glossiest 
condition  ;  they  seem  to  drop  down  and  die  without  a  struggle, 
I  have  had  them  brought  to  me  in  this  state,  and  have  found 
their  flesh  plump  and  of  good  colour,  and  every  feather 
smooth  and  perfect.'"  I  should  rather  incline  to  attribute 
the  death  in  these  cases  to  apoplexy,  arising  from  over-feed- 
ing on  maize  and  stimulating  artificial  food,  than  to  any 
epidemic  disease  arising  from  overcrowding,  as  this  attacks 
the  young  and  destro3^s  them  long  before  they  arrive  at 
maturity. 

"  In  Norfolk,''  writes  Mr.  Stevenson,  in  his  admirable 
work  on  the  birds  of  that  country,  "  there  are  many  portions 
where  the  pheasant  exists  in  a  perfectly  wild  state,  and 
thrives  well  under  the  protection  of  the  game  laws,  both  soil 
and  climate  being  alike  favourable.     It  is  in  such  districts. 


INTRODUCTION  INTO  SCOTLAND. 


almost  exclusively,  tliat  one  still  meets  witli  the  pure 
Phasianus  colchicus  free  from  any  trace  of  the  ring-necked 
or  Chinese  cross  in  its  plumage,  but  offering  at  the  same  time 
a  poor  contrast  to  those  hybrid  birds  both  in  size  and  weight. 
Besides  the  thick  undergrowth  in  woods  and  plantations, 
pheasants  are  particularly  partial  to  low  damp  situations, 
such  as  alder  and  osier  carrs,  by  the  river  side.  In  this 
country,  also,  stragglers  from  some  neighbouring  coverts  are 
not  unfrequently  found  on  the  snipe  marshes  surrounding  the 
broads,  where  the  sportsman,  following  up  his  dog  at  a 
'  running  point,^  is  suddenly  startled  by  the  whirr  of  a  noble 
'  long  tail,^  when  never  dreaming  of  any  larger  game  than 
rails  or  water-hens.^' 

In  Scotland  it  is  now  very  generally  distributed  in 
the  western  counties,  from  Wigtown  in  the  south  to 
Sutherland  in  the  north.  Mr.  E.  Gray  writes :  "  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  Loch  Lomond,  it  may  occasionally  be 
noticed  on  the  mountain  sides,  at  a  considerable  elevation, 
sometimes  as  far  up  as  twelve  hundi'ed  feet.  In  Shemore 
Glen,  I  have  seen  male  birds  rise  from  the  heath  among  the 
rocks,  and,  wheeling  round,  direct  their  flight  down  the 
valley  with  extraordinary  speed.  Very  different  indeed  is  the 
flight  of  these  strong-winged  natives  of  the  glen  from 
that  of  over-fed  birds  in  wooded  preserves ;  and  as  one 
bird  after  another  shoots  past  in  high  air,  one  can  hardly 
resist  the  impression  that,  if  left  to  its  own  selection,  the 
pheasant  would  adapt  itself  wonderfully  to  the  drawbacks  of 
its  adopted  country.  Mr.  Elwes  informs  me  that  he  has 
frequently  seen  pheasants  in  Islay  get  up  in  the  most  unlikely 
places,  such  as  an  open  moor,  miles  away  from  any  covert  or 
corn-field,  and  sometimes  in  a  wet  bog,  where  one  would  be 
more  likely  to  find  a  snipe.  On  that  island,  where  it  was 
introduced  about  thirty  years  ago  by  Mr.  Campbell,  the 
pheasant  is  now  not  uncommon,  and  appears  to  be  on  the 
increase.  In  the  Outer  Hebrides  it  has  likewise  been 
introduced  into  Lewis  by  Sir  James  Matheson,  who  has 
D  2 


36  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

obligingly  informed  me  that,  since  its  introduction  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  ago,  it  has  become  fairly  established,  although  it 
has  not  increased  to  the  extent  that  might  have  been  expected 
in  a  moi'e  favourable  locality.  '  The  deep  drains  in  the  peat 
moss^,  writes  Sir  James,  '  are  supposed  to  be  the  cause  of  the 
death  of  the  young  chicks  by  their  falling  into  them.  For 
some  years  at  first  there  was  a  want  of  covert  for  pheasants, 
but  they  are  now  better  oflFin  this  respect,  and  are  increasing 
gradually.  Some  of  the  first  brood  wandered  about  sixteen 
miles  to  the  west  side  of  the  island,  it  is  supposed  in  quest  of 
covert.'  " 

The  introduction  of  the  pheasant  into  the  northern 
districts  of  Scotland  is,  however,  of  comparatively  recent 
date,  for  in  the  sixth  edition  of  Mowbray's  "  Domestic 
Poultry,"  1830,  it  is  stated:  "In  1826,  a  solitary  cock 
pheasant  made  his  appearance  as  far  north  as  a  valley  of 
the  Grampians,  being  the  first  that  had  been  seen  in  that 
northern  region  "  ;  and  my  old  friend,  Andrew  Halliday,  told 
me  that  he  remembered  perfectly  the  introduction  of  the 
birds  into  the  coverts  near  Banff  belonging  to  the  Earl  of 
Fife,  in  which  locality,  Thomas  Edwards,  the  Scottish 
naturalist,  whose  life  has  been  so  graphically  written  by  Mr. 
Smiles,  tells  us  it  now  seetns  to  thrive  very  well,  and  is  a 
beautiful  ornament  to  parks  and  woods. 

Messrs.  Buckley  and  Harvie-Brown,  in  the  "  Fauna  of  the 
Orkney  Islands,"  relate  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  in- 
troduce pheasants  as  wild  birds  into  Orkney,  which  was  only 
to  be  expected  as  there  are  no  trees. 

In  Ireland  it  is  also  abundant,  the  common  species  being, 
according  to  Mr.  Thompson,  the  well-known  natural  historian 
ot"  the  island,  frequent  in  the  various  wooded  parts,  at  least 
where  it  has  been  protected  and  preserved.  "  In  the  counties 
of  Antrim  and  Down,"  remarks  this  writer,  "  the  ring-necked 
variety — considered  to  have  originally  proceeded  from  a  cross 
between  the  common  and  true  ring-necked  pheasant  (P. 
torquatus) — is  not  uncommon." 


INTRODUCTION  INTO   SWEDEN.  37 

On  the  continent  of  Europe  the  pheasant  is  widely  diffused 
throughout  ahuost  all  the  congenial  localities  in  the  south  and 
central  portions,  where  any  effort  is  made  in  favour  of  its  pro- 
tection. In  Scandinavia  it  has  been  successfully  introduced ; 
in  1867  we  were  informed  by  Mr.  L.  Lloyd,  in  his  "  Game 
Birds  of  Sweden  and  Norway/'  that  it  is  not  found,  although 
attempts  on  a  large  scale  were  made  to  introduce  it  by  the 
late  King  Oscar ;  but  from  the  severity  of  the  climate,  and 
from  the  country  swarming  with  vermin  and  birds  of  prey  of 
all  sorts,  the  experiment,  in  Mr.  Lloyd's  opinion,  was  not 
likeh^  to  be  attended  with  success.  Since  that  date  the 
attempt  has  been  successfully  made  by  Baron  Oscar  Dickson, 
Avho,  in  1873,  reared  seven  or  eight  hundred  birds.  These 
have  done  well,  for,  in  the  Morgenblad  of  November  10,  1877, 
it  is  recorded  that  "Mr.  (now  Baron)  Oscar  Dickson  and 
party  shot  in  one  day,  on  his  property,  Bokedal,  in  Sweden, 
ninety  pheasants,  one  deer,  one  hare,  and  one  woodcock. 
There  were  five  gvins."  And  the  same  journal  mentions  that 
a  brace  of  pheasants  lived  at  full  liberty  on  an  estate  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Christiania  during  the  winter  of  1876-7 
without  being  fed  or  taken  care  of,  and  that  they  hatched  in 
the  summer  of  1877,  and  reared  four  full-grown  young  ones. 
A  brace  more  were  let  loose  early  in  the  spring  of  the  same 
year,  and  also  hatched  and  reared  in  the  open.  The  first 
brace  escaped  fi-om  a  pen,  and  nobody  knew  what  had  become 
of  them.  It  was  supposed  that  they  were  either  frozen  to 
death  during  the  severe  winter,  had  died  of  starvation,  or  had 
fallen  an  easy  prey  to  foxes,  cats,  or  hawks.  But  they 
survived,  and  found  both  shelter  and  food  for  themselves. 
Since  that  date  they  have  increased  rapidly,  and  on  November 
14  and  15,  1893,  the  Crown  Prince  shot  over  the  Baron's 
preserves  on  the  Island  "Wisingso,  in  the  Wetter  Lakes, 
when  1548  pheasants  Avere  killed  by  six  guns. 

In  New  Zealand,  the  Great  Britain  of  the  southern 
hemisphere,  the  introduction  of  the  pheasant  has  been  a  great 
success;  so  much  so,   that  in  a  single  season,  that  of   1871, 


38  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVI  ABIES. 

six  thousand  birds  were  bagged  in  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood of  the  city  of  Auckland.  Pheasants  were  first  introduced 
into  the  province  of  Auckland  about  twenty  years  since,  seven 
males  and  two  females,  the  only  survivors  of  two  dozen 
shipped  in  China,  comprising  the  original  stock  of  the 
Chinese  species.  At  the  same  time  a  number  of  the  common 
species  were  liberated  in  another  part  of  the  colony.  These 
were  supplemented  by  six  more  Chinese  birds  in  1856.  Both 
species  have  multiplied  exceedingly,  but  their  multiplication 
has  in  many  places  been  lessened  by  the  employment  of 
phosphorised  oats  laid  down  to  poison  the  rabbits. 

The  pheasant  has  also  been  introduced  into  several  of  the 
islands  of  the  Pacific.  By  the  kindness  of  Lieut.  Cli.  de 
Crespigny,  of  H.M.S.  CuraQoa,  I  received  a  specimen  of 
the  pheasants  which  are  now  breeding  in  the  Samoan  Islands. 
This  pheasant  is  undoubtedly  of  the  Chinese  ring-necked 
species,  the  neck  being  nearly  surrounded  by  the  distinguishing- 
white  collar,  but  there  is  a  considerable  differeuce  in  the 
colour  of  the  neck  at  the  base  and  the  scapular  feathers, 
which  are  much  lighter  than  in  our  ordinary  species. 

The  Chinese  pheasant  was  introduced  by  the  Portuguese 
into  the  island  of  St.  Helena  in  the  year  1513,  and  has 
increased  in  numbers  to  a  very  considerable  extent ;  but  the 
present  representatives  of  the  original  stock  differ  somewhat 
from  their  ancestors,  both  in  the  colour  and  markings  of  the 
plumage,  as  is  described  in  the  chapter  on  that  species. 

Very  successful  attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce 
the  different  species  of  pheasants  into  North  America  as  game 
birds,  where  in  many  parts  they  have  become  thoroughly 
acclimatised.  The  original  stocks  from  whence  the  pheasants 
in  the  Western  States  were  descended  were  imported  direct 
from  China,  consequently  the  ring-necked  pheasant  (P. 
torquatus)  and  the  Mongolian  (P.  mongoUcus)  are  common  in 
localities  where  the  old  English  pheasant  (P.  colchicus)  is  almost 
unknown,  although  the  latter  has  been  introduced  into  the 
Eastern  States  on  the  Atlantic  sea  board. 


INTRODUCTION  INTO  AMERICA.  39 

In  Vancouver  Island  and  some  of  tlie  Gulf  Islands 
pheasants  have  become  so  numerous  that  complaints,  according 
to  the  official  report,  have  been  made  to  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  (1897)  of  the  mischief  they  effect  in  grain  and  potato 
fields,  but  the  farmers  generally  speak  favourably  of  them. 

In  Oregon,  where  they  were  set  at  liberty  in  1881,  they 
have  now  become  common,  and  they  have  spread  and  multiplied 
so  well  that  complaints  are  made  of  their  depredations  in  the 
grain  fields.  The  reports  of  the  residents  to  the  official 
inquiries  are  very  interesting.  Mr.  Tyler,  of  Forest  Grove, 
Oregon,  writing  in  January,  1889,  states  : 

"  The  females  produce  fifteen  to  eighteen  eggs  each  litter, 
and  hatch  them  all.  .  .  .  The  old  ones  have  lots  of  nerve, 
and  will  fight  a  hawk  or  anything  that  comes  near  them. 
The  cocks  will  go  into  a  barn  yard  and  whip  the  best  fowls  we 
have,  and  run  things  according  to  their  own  notion.  .  . 
Their  favourite  haunts  are  low  grounds  near  the  fields 
of  grain,  on  which  they  depredate.  .  .  .  The  golden 
pheasants  have  become  numerous.  Occasionally  one  is  seen 
in  our  vicinity,  about  ninety  miles  from  where  they  were 
turned  loose  four  years  ago  ;  they  are  hardy,  easily  domesti- 
cated, but  not  so  prolific  as  the  ring-necks.  Their  flesh  is 
white  and  tender." 

A  very  good  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  these  species 
have  succeeded  in  their  new  abode  may  be  gathered  from  the 
circumstance  that  the  farmers  are  shooting  them  as  a 
nuisance,  as  they  destroy  the  wheat.  An  interesting  fact  is 
that  the  gold  pheasant  {Thaiimalea  picta) — kept  in  England 
only  as  an  ornamental  aviary  bird — has  become  wild  in 
Oregon,  and  the  Americans  have  found  its  flesh  white  and 
tender.  I  have  eaten  gold  pheasants  that  had  run  wild  in 
this  country,  and  can  fully  indorse  the  statement.  I  have 
often  wondered  that  some  landed  proprietor,  living  in  a 
suitable  locality  bordering  on  woods  and  coverts,  to  whom 
beauty  was  of  the  first  consideration,  had  not  attempted  to 
rear  the  gold  pheasant  in  the  open.      The  birds  can  be  bred 


40  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

in  a  wild  state,  and  yet  remain  so  fearless  as  to  come  and 
feed  from  the  hand ;  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  any 
more  gorgeous  ornament  to  a  country  house  than  would  be 
afforded  by  these  birds. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  a  much  more  beautiful  bird  than 
even  the  golden  pheasant,  and  that  is  the  cross  between  it  and 
the  Amherst  pheasant  (T.  amher slice) .  This  is  not  a  sterile 
hybrid,  but  is  perfectly  fertile,  either  inter  se,  or  with  either 
of  the  parent  races.  For  breeding  in  the  open,  it  would  be 
found  hardier  than  either  of  the  pure  breeds  from  which  it 
is  descended,  and,  as  it  is  larger  than  the  golden  pheasant, 
would  make  a  better  bird  for  the  table,  should  anyone  think 
of  killing  and  eating  an  object  of  such  surpassing  beauty. 

In  the  Eastern  States  the  pheasants  are  in  certain  localities 
doing  very  well;  as  many  as  a  thousand  birds  have  been 
reai'ed  and  turned  out  by  a  single  keeper,  and  the  pheasant 
is  generally  regarded  as  the  future  game  bird  of  the  country, 
as  it  can  stand  not  only  the  severe  heat  of  summer,  but  the 
cold  and  blizzards  of  the  winter.  A  number  of  game  clubs 
have  been  forined  for  their  protection,  and  large  numbers  are 
raised  in  the  Long  Island  preserves.  They  are  also  extending 
in  several  parts  of  New  Jersey,  New  York,  and  Vermont. 
The  Game  Commissioners  of  Ohio  are  encouraging  their 
breeding,  and,  to  quote  the  words  of  the  Boston  Herald,  "  the 
outlook  for  the  handsomest  and  most  delicious  game  bird  in 
the  world  is  quite  rosy  in  this  country." 

In  Nova  Scotia  the  pheasant  was  introduced  twenty  years 
ago  by  Professor  Butler,  and  at  once  bred  freely  and  flourished 
in  the  open,  despite  of  the  winter  cold  of  the  climate. 

In  the  countries  nearest  to  the  locality  from  whence  the 
common  pheasant  is  supposed  to  have  been  derived,  it  is 
not,  strange  to  say,  abundant ;  thus  Canon  Tristram 
informs  us  that  it  does  not  appear  to  be  known  in  Syria.  In 
Greece,  the  Hon.  T.  L.  Powys,  writing  in  TJie  Ibis,  informs 
us  that  "  The  only  localities  in  which  I  have  seen  pheasants 
in  these  ^Darts  were  once  on  the  Luro  river,  near  Prevesa,  in 


DISTRIBUTION.  41 


March,  1857,  on  wliicli  occasion  I  only  saw  one,  the  bird 
having  never  previously  been  met  with  in  that  part  of  the 
country;  and  again  in  December  of  the  same  year,  in  the 
forests  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Drin,  in  Albania,  where  it 
is  comparatively  common,  and  where  several  fell  to  our  guns. 
In  this  latter  locality,  the  pheasant's  habitat  seems  to  be 
confined  to  a  radius  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  miles  to  the 
north,  east,  and  south  of  the  town  of  Alessio — a  district  for 
the  most  part  densely  Avooded  and  well  watered,  with 
occasional  tracts  of  cultivated  ground,  Indian  corn  being 
apparently  the  principal  produce,  and  forming,  with  the 
berries  of  the  privet  (which  abounds  throughout  Albania)  the 
chief  food  of  the  present  species.  We  heard  many  more 
pheasants  than  we  saw,  as  the  woods  were  thick  and  of  great 
extent,  our  dogs  Avild,  and  we  lost  a  great  deal  of  time  in 
making  circuits  to  cross  or  avoid  the  numerous  small  but 
deep  streams  which  intersect  the  country  in  every  dii-ection. 
This  species  is  particularly  abundant  on  the  shores  of  the 
Gulf  of  Salonica,  about  the  mouth  of  the  river  Vardar;  and 
I  have  been  informed,  on  good  authority,  that  pheasants  are 
also  to  be  found  in  the  Avoods  of  Vhrakori,  in  ^tolia,  about 
midway  betAveen  the  gulfs  of  Lepanto  and  Arta."  With 
regard  to  the  present  distribution  of  the  species,  Mr.  Gould, 
in  his  "  Birds  of  Asia,''  states  that  the  late  Nr.  G.  T.  Vigne 
shot  it  in  a  Avild  state  at  the  Lake  of  Apollonia,  thirty-five  miles 
from  Broussa,  to  the  south  of  the  sea  of  Marmora,  and  that 
the  late  Mr.  Atkinson  found  it  on  the  Kezzil-a-Gatch  and  the 
countr}"  to  the  west  of  the  river  Ilia.  Mr.  C.  G.  Danford,  in 
his  notes  on  the  ornithology  of  Asia  Minor,  writes :  "  The 
English  Consul,  Mr.  Gilbertsou,  informed  us  that  pheasants, 
though  generally  becoming  scarce,  were  still  common  near  Lake 
Apollonia,  where  a  couple  of  guns  had  last  year  killed  over 
sixty  head  in  two  or  three  days'  shooting."  {Ibis,  1880,  p.  98.) 
LordLilford,  Avriting-  in  1895,  states:  ''The  only  country 
in  which  we  have  personally  met  with  it  in  an  unpreserved 
and  23erfectly  wild  state  is  on  the  shores  of  the  Adriatic,  near 


42  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


Alessioj  iu  Albania,  where  it  is,  or  was,  by  no  means  nncommon 
in  the  low-lying  forest  country  near  the  month  of  the  river 
Drin ;  it  is  also  to  be  found  in  considerable  numbers  near 
Salonica  and  in  certain  other  localities  in  European  Turkey. 
But  the  best  authorities  seem  to  agree  that  the  true  home  and 
headquarters  of  the  species  are  the  shores  of  the  Caspian,  the 
valleys  of  the  Caucasus,  and  Northern  Asia  Minor.  Very 
closely  allied  forms,  however,  are  to  be  met  with  from  the 
Caspian,  through  Asia,  to  the  shores  and  islands  of  China." 

Professor  H.  H,  Giglioli,  writing  of  Corsica,  states  :  "  I 
was  repeatedly  assured  of  the  presence  in  the  island,  among 
the  hills  of  Aleria  on  the  eastern  coast,  of  the  pheasant 
Phasianus  colchicus  in  a  perfectly  wild  condition.  I  see  that 
Mr.  Jesse  reports  the  same  thing.  ...  I  am  still  making 
inquiries  on  the  subject  ;  but,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  no  record  of 
its  introduction  by  man  is  forthcoming.'^      {Ihis,  April,  1881.) 


-^^^^ta  ^i;0\ 


COCK     PHEASANT    DISPLAYING     ITS     PLUMAGE. 


OHAPTEE    III. 


MANAGEMENT   OF  PHEASANTS   IN   PRESERVES. 


^^M%  FORMATION   OF   COVERTS. 

f^^j|EFORE  any  satisfactory  progress  can  be  made  iii 
the  preservation  of  pheasants,  the  existence  of 
good  and  well-protected  coverts  is  indispensable ; 
and  where  these  do  not  naturally  exist,  the  very  first 
action  of  the  game  preserver  must  be  to  effect  their 
plantation  on  a  scalo  commensurate  with  his  desires. 
This  necessarily  cannot  be  done  without  expense,  but  a  large 
stock  of  pheasants  cannot  be  secured,  save  under  the  most 
exceptional  circumstances,  without  a  very  considerable  outlay. 
Some  years  since  the  subject  of  the  formation  of  coverts- 
for  pheasants  was  discussed  in  a  very  exhaustive  manner  in 
the  columns  of  The  Field,  and  some  admirable  practical  letters, 
detailing  the  experiences  of  the  writers,  appeared  in  that 
paper;  these  are  worthy  of  the  most  attentive  consideration, 
and  I  have  great  pleasure  in  availing  myself  of  the  opportunity 
of  quoting  from  them.  One  of  the  most  practical  of  the 
Avriters,  the  late  Mr.  R.  Carr  Ellison,  of  Dunstou  Hill,  Durham, 
strongly  advocated  the  formation  of  pheasant  roosts  of  spruce 
and  silver  firs,  as  affording  the  birds  absolute  security  against 
the  attacks  of  night  poachers.  He  writes  : — "  A  number  of 
country  gentlemen  who  do  not  consider  field  sports  of  primary 
importance,  feel  it  right  to  abstain  from  the  preserving  of 
pheasants.     They  see  that  the  temptation  which  these  birds 


44  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


oflPer,  when  perched  upon  naked  larches  and  other  trees,  at 
night,  is  too  strong  to  be  resisted  by  many  a  lad  or  working 
man  in  the  vicinity,  who,  but  for  this  particular  allurement  to 
evil,  might  go  on  respectably  and  quietly  enough.  They 
know  that  their  duty  towards  their  own  sons  is  to  keep  them 
out  of  needless  temptations,  and  they  are  unwilling  to  expose 
the  sons  of  other  aud  poorer  men  to  trials  which  experience 
shows  they  too  often  cannot  resist.  Some  have  forbidden  all 
night  watching  of  these  birds,  trusting  them  entirely  to  the 
protection  of  the  pines  and  firs  scattered  in  their  plantations, 
in  the  branches  of  which  it  is  impossible  for  any  one  to  see 
the  pheasants  which  happen  to  select  them  as  a  roosting- 
place.  Now,  I  have  for  twenty-two  years  preserved  these 
birds  in  very  considerable  numbers  without  any  night  watch- 
ing, and  in  a  country  where  all  my  neighbours  have  been 
repeatedly  visited  by  gangs  of  poachers  coming  sometimes 
from  considerable  distances,  as  well  as  by  occasional  depre- 
dators of  the  vicinity.  I  resolved  to  reject  all  night  watching, 
and  one  of  the  first  things  that  I  did,  as  a  very  young  man,  was 
to  plant  ten  acres  of  spruce  fir  and  Scotch  pine  in  a  central 
and  sheltered  part  of  the  estate,  which  might  serve  as  an 
impregnable  roosting-place  for  pheasants.  This  was  thirty 
years  ago  and  more.  At  ten  years  of  age,  the  plantation 
was  already  of  great  service,  and  at  fifteen  was  invaluable. 
As  it  has  been  regularly  thinned,  it  is  now  as  good  as  ever. 
A  number  of  birch-trees  were  intermixed,  which  were  very 
useful  in  drawing  up  and  hastening  the  growth  of  the  spruces 
without  exhausting  the  soil,  as  too  great  a  multitude  of  firs 
would  have  done.  Nor  do  the  pheasants  resort  to  the  birch 
at  night  as  they  do  to  some  other  trees,  larch  especially, 
because  they  find  that  its  branches  are  not  suificiently 
horizontal  to  afford  commodious  perches. 

"  Ten  years  later  I  formed  a  second  pheasant-roost  of  two 
acres  in  extent,  very  near  my  house,  and  of  this  I  have  had 
the  full  benefit  for  many  years  past.  It  is  generally  full  of 
pheasants,  and  not  one  of  them  is  visible  to  the  keenest  eye  in 


FOBMATION  OF  COVERTS.  45 

the  clearest  moonlight.  It  consists  of  spruce  and  silver  fir, 
regularly  and  unsparingly  thinned  to  keep  the  trees  in  health 
and  vigour.  We  never  think  of  night  watching,  even  though 
guns  be  heard  on  adjoining  estates,  and  the  poachers  have 
long  given  us  up  in  despair.  This  lesser  stronghold  is  kept 
sacred  from  the  guns  of  sportsmen,  who  are  sure  to  find  the 
cock  pheasants  dispersed  through  all  the  other  plantations 
during  the  daytime.  The  first  thing  the  birds  do  on  a  winter's 
morning,  after  peeking  up  a  few  beans  near  their  roost,  is  to 
Avander  in  search  of  their  natural  wild  food  in  the  woodlands, 
of  which  food  the  tuberous  root  of  the  celandine,  or  wood- 
ranunculus,  forms  here  a  principal  part.  But,  besides  the 
remains  of  acorns  and  beech-nuts,  they  feed,  I  believe,  much 
on  the  fallen  keys  of  the  ash  and  sycamore,  on  hips  and  haws, 
and  on  tender  blades  of  grass,  besides  innumerable  worms, 
eggs  of  slugs,  and  larvte  of  insects.  Tempted  by  these 
dainties,  and  in  frosty  weather  even  by  the  crisp  green 
leaves  of  the  holly,  the  cock  pheasant  will  leave  his  beans 
and  barle}^,  and  betake  himself  to  freer  haunts  every  fine 
day,  and  there  the  sportsman  will  find  him  ;  but,  if  his  life 
be  spared,  he  seldom  fails  to  return  at  night  to  his  warm 
roost  among  the  spruces,  only  with  the  advance  of  spring 
will  he  quit  it ;  for  habit  has  made  him  luxurious  as  to  his 
nights'  quarters,  and  more  sensitive  of  cold  than  less  lucky 
pheasants. 

"The  Scotch  pine  is  not  nearly  so  tempting  to  the 
pheasant  at  night  as  the  spruce  and  silver  firs,  because  its 
branches  are  not  sufficiently  horizontal ;  yet,  on  dry  hungry 
soils  it  must  be  largely  intermixed,  since  the  firs  are  not  to  be 
depended  on  to  flourish  on  such  ground.  In  some  cases,  a 
stronghold  may  be  formed  entirely  of  hollies,  Portugal  laurels, 
and  yews.  For  hen  pheasants  it  Avill  be  excellent;  but  the 
cocks,  which  prefer  to  roost  higher,  should  have  a  few  firs  or 
pines  close  at  hand  for  their  accommodation.  All  food  should 
be  given  in  or  near  to  these  secure  nocturnal  retreats." 

Respecting   the  conversion  of  existing  mixed  plantations 


46  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

into  niglit  coverts  for  plieasants^  tlie  same  gentleman  remarks 
ttat  ''  any  plantation  containing  a  due  proportion  of  pines,  or 
of  spruce  and  silver  fir,  can  be  readily  made  a  secure  roosting- 
place  for  pheasants,  if  conveniently  situated  for  the  purpose, 
and  not  too  much  exposed  to  violent  winds.  All  that  is 
necessary  is  to  cut  out  the  larches  as  rapidly  as  can  be  done 
without  letting  in  the  wind  too  suddenly.  The  oaks,  ashes, 
beeches,  &c.,  may  be  allowed  to  stand  wherever  they  do  not 
injure  a  thriving  pine  or  fir.  The  larches  only  are  a  dangerous 
temptation  to  the  pheasants  at  roosting  time.  Their  perfectly 
horizontal  branches,  and  the  considerable  amount  of  shelter 
which  their  numerous  twigs  and  regular  head  afford  to  the 
birds,  induce  many  to  perch  in  them;  whereas  young  oaks, 
ashes,  &c.,  attract  very  few  indeed.  If  the  plantation 
•consisted  entirely  of  resinous  trees,  so  that  none  of  the 
last-mentioned  hardwood  trees  are  present,  then  we  have 
to  consider  what  is  to  be  done  to  fill  up  the  vacancies.  If 
the  soil  be  tolerably  moist  and  fertile,  I  would  recommend 
that  all  the  larger  openings  be  filled  with  the  best  and 
strongest  plants  of  silver  fir  that  can  be  procured — say  from 
two  to  three  feet  in  height.  Let  a  cluster  of  three  or  more 
of  these  be  planted  in  pits,  carefully  prepared  with  spade  and 
pickaxe^  about  five  feet  asunder,  in  the  centre  of  every 
opening  ;  for  it  is  a  pity  to  waste  such  plants  in  closer 
proximity  to  tall  pines  and  spruces.  If  there  be  room  for 
only  one  silver  fir,  let  only  one  be  planted.  This  species  is 
not  very  liable  to  be  nibbled  by  hares  and  rabbits  if  protected 
for  the  first  year.  Let  the  branches  of  the  felled  larches, 
with  which  the  ground  must  still  be  half  covered,  be  drawn 
around  these  young  plants  without  delay,  for  very  little  will 
suffice  to  turn  the  enemy  aside. 

"  Silver  firs  are  very  preferable  to  spruces  or  pines  for 
filling  up  vacancies,  for  these  latter,  when  drawn  up  slender 
by  shade  and  shelter,  are  sure  to  be  ruined  by  hares  and 
rabbits,  whereas  the  silver  fir  is  of  a  different  habit,  and  will 
not  be  drawn  up   in    the  same    manner,  nor  is  its  taste    so 


FORMATION  OF  COVERTS.  47 

attractive  to  the  marauders.  It  also  bears  being  removed 
large  from  tbe  uursery,  with  very  little  injury  or  check  to  its 
growth.  Consequently^  large  plants  of  it,  with  earth  adhering, 
though  somewhat  costly,  are  well  worth  their  price  to  the 
planter  who  knows  where  and  how  to  use  them.  Around 
these,  and  nearer  to  the  tall  pines  and  spruces,  may  be  tried 
plants  of  the  holly-leaved  berberis  and  common  laurel,  which 
may  not  improbably  succeed.  Immediately  under  the  pines 
and  spruces  it  is  useless  to  plant  anything.  The  onl}'  covert 
to  be  obtained  there  is  from  heaps  of  branches  left  upon  the 
ground  as  often  as  the  trees  are  thinned.  And  this  should 
be  done  almost  annually,  to  ensure  plenty  of  room  to  the  best 
and  most  thriving  amongst  them,  whose  side  branches  will 
then  gradually  become  more  or  less  pendulous,  and  so  will 
afford  far  more  shelter  than  could  be  obtained  from  a  larger 
number  of  trees  standing  too  thick.  Pheasants  in  a  covert 
like  this  need  no  great  quantity  of  shelter  upon  the  ground, 
for  they  sit,  even  during  the  daytime,  chiefly  in  the  tree-tops. 
They  bask  there,  on  the  south  side  of  the  summit  of  a  spruce 
or  pine,  in  the  sun's  rays,  with  great  delight;  and  in  heavy 
snow-storms  whole  days  will  often  pass  when  they  never 
descend  to  feed,  but  prefer  to  sit  quiet,  eating  the  green 
spines  of  these  resinous  trees  (in  the  manner  of  the  black 
grouse  and  capercailzie)  when  crispened  by  the  frost,  and 
depending  upon  snow  by  way  of  beverage.  I  have  strongly 
advocated  the  spruce  and  silver  firs  as  affording  the  most 
tempting  perch  to  the  birds  at  nightfall ;  still,  be  it  under- 
stood, that  the  Scotch  pine,  pinaster,  Weymouth  pine 
(P.  laricio)  and  others  are  all  excellent.  All  that  is  needed  is 
a  little  generalship  and  foresight  in  pheasant  preservers, 
and  a  determination  to  confide  in  these  resources,  rather  than 
in  the  expensive,  dangerous,  and  inefficient  practice  of 
employing  night  watchers.^' 

Commenting  on  these  suggestions,  another  correspondent 
writes  :  "  I  am  not  aware  that  the  practical  advantages  and 
excellence  of  the  plan  of  planting  large  clumps  or  squares  of 


48  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

spruce,  either  alone  or  blended  with  silv^er  firs,  and  mixing,  or 
not,  a  few  deciduous  trees  with  them,  for  the  special  purpose 
of  forming  pheasant  roosts,  have  ever  been  so  fully  and 
perspicuously  set  forth  as  explained  in  the  previous  article. 
I  could  quote  an  instance  of  extensive  coverts  having  been 
planted  on  a  similar  principle,  save  that  oaks  were  planted  in 
lieu  of  birch,  with  the  ultimate  view  of  affording  these  birds 
the  opportunity  of  preening  their  plumes  whilst  perched  on 
the  topmost  boughs,  and  enjoying  themselves  in  this  secluded 
retreat  during  bright  weather,  to  which  luxury,  under  such 
circumstances,  they  are  very  partial.  In  these  cases  the 
Spanish  chesnut  tree  might  sometimes  perhaps  be  found  an 
eligible  substitute  for  either  the  birch  or  the  oak.  The  larch 
undoubtedly  is  a  favourite  roosting  tree  Avith  the  pheasant,  so 
much  so  indeed  that  I  have  seen  odd  ones  roosting  in  larches 
growing  withiu  a  few  yards  only  of  the  impenetrable  spruce 
grove.  Besides  being  horizontal,  the  branches  of  the  larch 
are  rough,  affording  good  foothold,  and  when  the  tree  is 
properly  grown  are  but  at  short  distances  one  above  the 
other,  whilst,  the  collaterals  being  numerous,  the  tree  in 
reality  affords  far  more  shelter  than  it  appears  capable  of 
yielding,  though,  of  course,  far  too  little  to  conceal  the  bird 
from  the  prying  eye  of  the  night  poacher.  Pheasants  are 
remarkably  fond  of  '  hips  ' ;  and  if  the  wild  rose  tree  which 
produces  them  be  kept  low  by  a  proper  attention  to  pruning,, 
not  ouly  can  the  birds  reach  the  fruit  easily,  but  the  branches 
stool  out  and  afford  admirable  covert.  Cock  pheasants  are 
naturally  of  a  vagrant  turn,  and  at  times  will  '  leave  their 
beans  and  barley,'  in  order  to  indulge  in  this  their  favourite 
propensity  to  rove  in  search  of  their  natural  wild  food  in  the 
woodlands,  hedgerows,  &c.  Ijarly  in  December  last  I  received 
a  brace  of  remarkably  fine  young  cock  pheasants  shot  on  a 
manor  where  the  best  artificial  food  is  abundantly  provided, 
yet  the  crop  of  one  of  them  contained  ten  full-sized  acorns. 
Apart,  too,  from  their  utility  as  being  by  far  the  warmest,, 
most  sheltered,  and  the  only  thoroughly  poacher-proof  night 


FORMATION  OF  COVERTS.  49 

coverts  for  these  timid  birds,  which  at  roostiTig  time  usually 
court  the  densest  sylvan  shade — these  evergreen  groves 
possess  the  signal  advantage  of  harmonising  well  with,  and 
adding  singular  beauty  to,  the  surrounding  scenery ;  whilst 
the  internal  gloom — lucus  a  non  lucendo — pervading  them, 
has  also  its  own  peculiar  charms,  though  it  be  of  a  sombre 
character/' 

It  may  be  remai-ked  that  evergreen  night  coverts  are  not 
so  essential  south  of  the  Trent,  owing  to  the  vigorous  growth 
of  underwood  in  the  southern  counties,  which  renders  it 
almost  impossible  for  poachers  to  traverse  the  coverts  by 
night,  even  during  bright  moonlight ;  so  that  pheasants 
roosting  on  deciduous  trees  are  much  safer  than  they  would 
be  in  the  north,  where  underwood  is  comparatively  feeble  and 
scanty. 

Writing  to  me  on  this  subject,  Mr.  Carr  Ellison  added  : 
"  In  the  extreme  north  of  England,  and  in  Scotland,  under- 
wood of  bramble  grows  feebly,  except  along  Avarni  southerly 
slopes.  Nevertheless  nature  introduces  another  covert  plant 
of  great  value,  which  fears  neither  cold  shade,  nor  open  and 
windy  exposure — namely,  the  native  tussock  grass  of  moor- 
edges  and  upland  pastures,  Aira  ccespitosa,  popularly  called 
'hull-fronts'  of  which  most  of  our  exposed  woodlands  are 
full.  It  is  easily  transplanted,  or  propagated  by  seed,  on 
which  latter  both  pheasants  and  black  game  feed.  It  is  a 
favourite  covert  for  hares,  affording  perfect  protection  from 
the  cold  winds  that  sweep  through  plantations  destitute  of 
underwood,  like  too  many  in  the  north. 

"Yet  these  apparently  unpromising  strips  or  clumps  of 
bare  stems  are  often  frequented  by  fine  broods  of  self -reared 
pheasants,  thanks  to  the  bull-fronts  and  bracken." 

If  it  be  desired  to  see  the  pheasants  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  mansion,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  shrub- 
beries of  rhododendron  so  frequently  seen  skirting  lawns  and 
pleasure  grounds  are  not  frequented  by  pheasants  like  those 
of  yew,  holly,  and  privet,  chiefly  because  no  fallen  berries  are 


50  PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

to  be  found  underneath  them.  But  if  a  handful  of  barley, 
peas,  or  beans  be  thrown  fi'om  time  to  time  among  the  more 
open  and  taller  rhododendrons,  the  pheasants  will  soon  learn 
to  resort  to  them,  after  which  some  of  the  same  fare  may  be 
cast  into  the  thicker  parts,  where  the  birds  will  soon  hnd  it. 
In  this  way  our  beautiful  rhododendron  thickets  near  the 
garden  and  mansion  may  be  utilised  for  pheasants  more  than 
heretofore. 

The  late  Mr.  Charles  Waterton,  who  protected  every  bird 
in  his  domain,  published  the  following  details  of  his  method 
of  preserving  the  pheasants  at  Walton  Hall : — "  This  bird  has 
a  capacious  stomach,  and  requires  much  nutriment,  while  its 
timidity  soon  causes  it  to  abandon  those  places  which  are 
disturbed.  It  is  fond  of  acorns,  beech  mast,  the  berries  of 
the  hawthorn,  the  seeds  of  the  wild  rose,  and  the  tubers  of 
the  Jerusalem  artichoke.  As  long  as  these,  and  ihe  corn 
dropped  in  the  harvest,  can  be  procured,  the  pheasant  will 
do  very  well.  In  the  spring  it  finds  abundance  of  nourish- 
ment in  the  sprouting  leaves  of  young  clover;  but  from  the 
commencement  of  the  new  year  till  the  vernal  period,  their 
wild  food  affords  a  very  scanty  supply,  and  the  bird  will  be 
exposed  to  all  the  evils  of  the  Vagrant  Act,  unless  you  can 
contrive  to  keep  it  at  home  by  an  artificial  supply  of  food. 
Boiled  potatoes  (which  the  pheasant  prefers  much  to  those  in 
the  raw  state)  and  beans  are,  perhaps,  the  two  most  nourishing- 
things  that  can  be  offered  in  the  depth  of  winter.  Beans  in 
the  end  are  cheaper  than  all  the  smaller  kinds  of  grain, 
because  the  little  birds,  which  usually  swarm  at  the  place 
where  pheasants  are  fed,  cannot  swallow  them;  and,  if  you 
conceal  the  beans  under  yew  or  holly  bushes,  or  under  the 
lower  branches  of  the  spruce  fir  tree,  they  will  be  out  of  the 
way  of  the  rooks  and  ringdoves.  About  two  roods  of  the 
thousand-headed  cabbage  are  a  most  valuable  acquisition  to 
the  pheasant  preserve.  You  sow  a  few  ounces  of  seed  in 
April,  and  transplant  the  young  plants  2ft.  asunder,  in  the 
month  of  June.      By  the  time  that  the  harvest  is  all  in,  these 


FORMATION  OF  COVERTS.  51 

cabbages  will  afford  a  most  excellent  aliment  to  the  pheasant, 
and  are  particularly  serviceable  when  the  ground  is  deeply- 
covered  with  snow,  I  often  think  that  pheasants  are 
unintentionally  destroyed  by  farmers  during  the  autumnal 
seed-time.  They  have  a  custom  of  steeping  the  wheat  in 
arsenic  water.  This  must  be  injurious  to  birds  which  pick 
up  the  corn  remaining  on  the  surface  of  the  mould.  I  some- 
times find  pheasants,  at  this  period,  dead  in  the  plantations, 
and  now  and  then  take  them  up  weak  and  languid,  and  quite 
unable  to  fly.  I  will  mention  here  a  little  robbery  by  the 
pheasants,  which  has  entirely  deprived  me  of  a  gratification 
I  used  formerly  to  experience  in  an  evening's  saunter  down 
the  vale.  They  have  completely  exterminated  the  grass- 
hoppers. For  the  last  fourteen  years  I  have  not  once  heard 
the  voice  of  this  merry  summer  charmer  in  the  party. 

"  In  order  to  render  useless  all  attempts  of  the  nocturnal 
poacher  to  destroy  the  pheasants,  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  a  place  of  security  should  be  formed.  I  know  of  no 
position  more  appropriate  than  a  piece  of  level  ground  at  the 
bottom  of  the  hill,  bordered  by  a  gentle  stream.  About  three 
acres  of  this,  sowed  with  whins,  and  surrounded  by  a  holly  fence 
to  keep  the  cattle  out,  would  be  the  very  thing.  In  the  centre 
of  it,  for  the  space  of  one  acre,  there  ought  to  be  planted 
spruce  fir  trees,  about  14ft.  asunder.  Next  to  the  larch,  this 
species  of  tree  is  generally  preferred  by  the  pheasants  for 
their  roosting-place ;  and  it  is  quite  impossible  that  the 
poachers  can  shoot  them  in  these  trees.  Moreover,  magpies 
and  jays  will  always  resort  to  them  at  nightfall ;  and  they 
never  fail  to  give  the  alarm  on  the  first  appearance  of  an 
enemy.  Six  or  seven  dozen  of  wooden  pheasants,  nailed  on 
the  branches  of  trees  in  the  surrounding-  woods,  cause 
unutterable  vexation  and  loss  of  ammunition  to  these 
amateurs  of  nocturnal  plunder.  Small  clumps  of  hollies  and 
yew  trees,  with  holly  hedges  round  them,  are  of  infinite 
service,  when  planted  at  intervals  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards.     To  these  the  pheasants  fly  on  the  sudden  approach  of 


52  PHEASANTS   FOR   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

danger  during  the  day,  and  skulk  there  till  the  alarm  is 
over."  It  is  sometimes  desirable  to  supply  the  want  of 
ground  covert  for  young  birds  in  fir  plantations  where 
there  is  only  short  grass.  The  readiest  mode  of  doing  this  is 
to  use  the  trimmings  of  hedges,  boughs,  and  tops  of  trees ; 
the  latter  should  be  cut  about  a  yard  long  and  stuck  in 
holes  made  with  a  crowbar.  The  high  grass  soon  grows  in 
amongst  the  sticks,  and  makes  very  good  ground  covert, 
which  will  last  some  years;  or  the  roots  of  young  spruce 
trees  may  be  cut  on  one  side,  when  the  trees  may  be  pulled 
down  into  a  nearly  horizontal  position,  and  kept  so  by  filling- 
up  the  hole  with  the  earth  dug  out. 

The  vignette  represents  the  head  of  a  pheasant  in  which 
the  upper  mandible  had  been  shot  away  ;  nevertheless,  the 
bird  when  killed  was  in  good  condition. 


CHAPTEE     lY. 


MANAGEMENT   OF   PHEASANTS   IN   PRESERVES 
(CONTINUED). 


FEEDING   IN    COVERTS. 

HE  FOOD  necessary  to  keep  together  a  large  stock 
of  plieasauts  during  the  winter  months,  and  prevent 
them  straying  to  adjoining  preserves,  may  be 
supplied  in  various  modes.  The  birds  may  either  be 
hand-fed  day  by  day  in  the  same  manner  as  domestic 
fowls ;  or  from  troughs  which  are  so  constructed  as  to 
pi-event  the  food  being  accessible  to  smaller  birds ;  or  they 
may  be  supplied  with  small  stacks  of  unthrashed  corn,  from 
which  to  help  themselves. 

''  If  fed  by  hand,  a  fixed  place  is  necessary,  to  which  the 
pheasants  must  be  accustomed  to  resort  at  a  particular  hour, 
otherwise  the  sparrows  and  other  small  birds  will  have  far 
more  than  their  fair  share  of  the  grain,  particularly  in  severe 
weather  when  the  ground  is  frozen  hard.  Fed  in  this  manner, 
the  birds  become  almost  as  tame  as  farm-yard  fowls.  In 
order  to  accustom  them  to  one  spot,  at  the  end  of  September 
or  earlier,  according  to  the  season,  carry  a  few  bundles  of 
beans  and  barley,  in  the  straw,  to  the  spots  in  the  coverts 
which  are  selected  for  feeding  places;  by  watching  these 
bundles  it  will  be  soon  found  when  they  have  attracted  the 
notice  of  the  birds,  and  when  it  is  observed  that  they  have 
been  attacking  them,  the  better  plan  is  to  pull  them  apart,  so 
as  to  enable  the  corn  to   be  found  more  readily.     When  the 


54  PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

corn  is  beginning  to  decrease,  feed  from  tlie  hand,  daily ;  and 
in  order  to  ensure  regularity,  allow  one  man  to  distribute  at 
the  feeding-place,  among  the  decaying  barley-straw  and 
beanhaulm,  a  small  bagful  of  beans  and  barley,  as  early  as  he 
can  find  his  way  to  the  spot  in  the  morning,  concealing  the 
corn  as  well  as  he  is  able ;  later  in  the  day,  say  towards 
three  or  four  in  the  afternoon,  again  ^deposit  a  mixture  of 
barley  and  white  peas,  concealing  the  corn  as  before.  In  this 
way  scarcely  a  grain  of  corn  is  lost.  Woodpigeons  and  jays 
will  sometimes  intrude ;  but,  with  attention  in  concealing  the 
corn,  and  punctuality  in  feeding,  any  waste  worth  notice  may 
be  prevented,  and  by  observing  how  many  birds  come  up  to 
their  food,  it  is  easy  to  discover  when  anything  is  going 
wrong,  as  the  least  disturbance  will  make  pheasants  shy,  and 
will  be  enough  to  put  the  keeper  on  the  alert  to  discover  the 
cause." 

When  fed  by  hand  in  this  manner,  a  great  variety  of  food 
may  be  used.  Maize  is  certainly  one  of  the  best ;  weight 
for  weight  it  is  usually  much  cheaper  than  barley,  is  better 
relished  by  the  pheasauts,  is  far  more  fattening,  and  it 
possesses  the  great  recommendation  of  not  being  so  readily 
devoured  by  the  sparrows,  especially  if  the  large  coarse  and 
cheaper  varieties  are  purchased.  A  correspondent,  who  has 
kept  pheasants  for  many  years,  and  taken  much  trouble  to 
ascertain  their  preference  for  different  kinds  of  food,  states, 
as  the  result  of  his  experience,  that  "  they  prefer  maize  or 
Indian  corn  to  any  other  food  that  can  be  given  to  them, 
I  have  frequently  given  the  pheasants  that  come  regularly  to 
my  window  to  be  fed  equal  parts  of  Indian  corn,  peas,  small 
horse-beans,  wheat,  barley,  and  oats,  and  they  invariably  take 
them  in  the  order  in  which  I  have  written  them.  I  Lave  also 
frequently  done  the  same  thing  with  those  I  keep  shut  up  for 
laying,  and  always  wdth  the  same  results.  Pheasants  that 
I  have  had  from  elsewhere  to  put  with  them  in  confinement, 
and  that  have  never  seen  maize,  take  to  it  in  a  couple  of  days, 
and  then,  like   the  others,   will  eat   nothing  else  so  long  as 


FEEDING  IN  COVERTS.  55 

they  can  get  it ;  and  if  I  try  them  with  the  mixture  above 
named  I  find  all  the  other  grain  neglected.  The  young 
pheasants  at  the  coops  begin  to  eat  it  before  they  are  as 
large  as  partridges,  and  then  entirely  neglect  the  barley,  &c. 
I  never  see  pheasants  that  are  kept  up  in  better  condition 
than  my  own,  and  they  have  nothing  but  Indian  corn,  a  few 
turnip  leaves,  and  clods  of  turf  to  pull  to  pieces.  Another 
great  advantage  of  maize  is  that  small  birds  cannot  steal  it, 
with  the  exception  of  the  tom-tit,  and  though  almost  the 
smallest,  he  holds  the  corn  with  one  foot  and  hammers  away 
like  a  miniature  woodpecker,  commencing  at  the  part  of  the 
grain  that  is  attached  to  the  stalk,  finding  that  the  only  road 
in.  It  is  but  a  very  small  part  of  each  corn  that  he  is  able  to 
eat,  but  it  seems  to  possess  great  attraction  for  him.  There 
are  six  or  eight  of  these  little  birds  live  constantly  near  my 
house  at  this  season ;  and  though  chaffinches,  blackbirds,  and 
thrushes  all  try  their  best  at  the  maize,  they  soon  give  it  up 
hopelessly.  Rooks  take  it  greedily,  and  were  it  not  for  an 
occasional  ball  from  the  air  gun  they  would  rob  the  pheasants 
of  every  grain." 

In  feeding  pheasants  in  this  manner,  care  should  be  taken 
to  change  the  ground  frequently,  for  if  they  are  fed  on  the 
same  place  for  a  continuance  the  ground  becomes  tainted,  the 
food  is  necessarily  soiled  by  the  excrements  of  the  birds,  and 
disease  is  the  invariable  result. 

Feeding  troughs,  which  open  with  the  weight  of  the 
pheasant  when  standing  on  an  attached  bar  in  front  of  the 
corn,  are  not  extensively  used.  The  objections  to  them  are, 
in  the  first  place,  their  expense,  some  fifteen  shillings  to 
thirty  shillings  each,  which  becomes  a  serious  item  when 
many  are  required ;  their  liability  to  get  out  of  order ;  andj 
lastly,  the  unlimited  supply  they  afford  to  the  feeding  bird, 
which  crams  itself  to  repletion  without  any  exercise,  and  is 
disinclined  to  seek  food  on  its  own  account. 

Unquestionably,  one  of  the  best  modes  of  feeding  pheasants 
is  by  the  use  of  small  stacks  of  unthreshed  grain  or  beans  : 


5G  PHEASANTS   FOB    COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

but  this  may  be  done  in  a  wrong  as  well  as  a  right  manner. 
The  late  Mr.  W.  Lort,  an  enthusiastic  practical  sportsman, 
made  the  following  suggestions  :  "  Pheasants  may  be  easily 
fed  from  small  thatched  stacks  made  with  bundles  of  different 
kinds  of  grain.  The  only  operation  then  required — pulling  a 
bundle  or  two  from  the  stack  and  cutting  the  bands — may  be 
performed  every  two  or  three  days  ;  though,  by  the  way,  I 
must  say  I  like  someone  to  see  my  pheasants  every  day ;  and 
those  who  want  game  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  have  ic 
well  attended  to.  If  weight  and  bulk  are  objects,  a  foot  or 
two  of  the  straw  can  be  cut  from  each  sheaf  or  bundle  of  corn 
before  it  is  taken  to  the  stacks.  The  ears  should  be  put 
inside,  or  half  the  corn  will  be  taken  by  small  birds ;  and  the 
bottom  of  the  stack  should  stand  at  least  a  foot  from  the 
ground.  I  use  as  food  in  winter  peas,  beans,  barley,  buck- 
wheat, wheat,  and  a  few  oats,  and  many  other  little  delicacies, 
such  as  boiled  potatoes,  ground  artichokes,  decayed  apples, 
damaged  raisins,  &c.  ;  and,  with  all  these  dainties,  they  will 
stray  twice  in  the  year — when  the  acorns  fall,  and  at  or  just 
before  breeding-time.'^ 

The  following  most  complete  series  of  suggestions  on 
feeding  pheasants  in  coverts  is  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  James 
Barnes,  of  Exmouth.  It  is  specially  valuable  as  giving 
practical  directions  for  the  formation  of  catchpools  for  water, 
without  which  no  amount  of  feeding  will  keep  pheasants  from 
straying  in  dry  weather ;  and  it  also  contains  suggestions  for 
the  formation  of  huts,  which  are  worthy  of  the  careful  con- 
sideration of  every  preserver  on  a  large  scale.  Mr.  Barnes 
writes :  "  Pheasants  are  well-known  to  require  assistance 
with  food  of  some  kind  in  winter  to  keep  them  in  good 
condition,  and  to  have  a  propensity  to  ramble  away  and 
expose  themselves  to  the  depredations  of  trespassers.  Buck- 
wheat should  be  sown  adjacent  to  their  coverts,  cut  when 
ripe  and  intermixed  with  barley,  also  in  straw,  and  placed  in 
little  stacks  in  or  near  their  coverts,  and  spread  or  shaken 
about    at    intervals  throughout    the    winter.     What    is    still 


FEEDING  IN  COVERTS.  57 

better  to  my  mind,  is  to  place  their  food  in  huts.  A  pheasant 
hut  is  an  open  shed,  with  the  roof  fixed  on  four  posts,  with  a 
pole  all  round  for  rafter  plate,  the  rafters  of  rough  poles  tied 
on  wuth  withies,  thatched  first  with  long  faggots  tied  up 
with  three  or  four  withies  of  brushwood  with  all  the  leaves 
on,  and  allowed  to  hang  down  or  over  the  rafter  plate 
two  feet  or  thereabouts.  The  thatch  used  should  be 
small  brushwood,  reeds,  or  straw.  An  open  trellis  floor 
of  poles  should  be  raised  two  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
on  this  the  corn  in  straw  should  be  laid  for  the  pheasants  to 
help  themselves.  In  these  huts  the  pheasants  find  shelter, 
comfort,  and  cover  in  rough,  wintry,  and  severe  weather. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  have  plenty  of  dry  dust  on  the  floor 
underneath  for  the  pheasants  to  bask  in.  This  is  a  most 
essential  provision — quite  as  much  so  for  pheasants  as  for  our 
poultry — for  it  is  quite  as  natural  for  them  to  dust  to  clean 
themselves.  It  is  a  fact  within  easy  observation  how  the 
pheasant  searches  out  the  base  of  an  old  dry,  dusty  pollard 
tree  or  hedge  bank  to  bask  in  the  dust.  Besides,  every 
grain  of  corn  that  falls  through  the  open  feeding  floor  is 
searched  for  and  found  in  this  dust.  Underneath  and  on  the 
dusty  floor  is  a  safe  and  convenient  place,  sheltered  from 
severe  frost,  &c.,  to  receive  any  other  kind  of  food,  such  as 
refuse  potatoes,  Jerusalem  artichokes,  mangolds,  swede 
turnips,  cabbage,  Spanish  chesnuts,  acorns,  beechnuts,  a 
few  raisins,  Indian  corn,  or  anything  else  you  wash  the 
pheasants  to  have.  Such  changes  of  food  cast  about 
their  feeding  sheds  are  sure  to  secure  them  keeping 
pretty  well  to  covert,  particularly  if  they  have  water 
at  hand.  I  have  seen  large  expenditures  for  well  digging 
or  for  the  conveyance  of  water  by  ram  and  pipes  from 
some  stream  at  a  distance ;  but  the  best  and  simplest 
plan  to  keep  up  a  general  supply  of  water  for  the  season 
the  pheasant  is  in  covert,  is  certainly  the  shallow  catch- 
pool  system.  In  my  humble  opinion,  it  is  the  most 
natural,  convenient,  and  inexpensive  plan  of  all  I  have  seen 


58  PHEASANTS  FOB    COVEBTS  AND  AVI  ABIES. 

or  had  anything  to  do  with  iu  my  time.  I  will  explain  what 
I  mean  by  catchpools  :  Choose  any  little  slope  or  valley  in 
high  and  dry  coverts  where  some  command  may  be  had  of 
the  surrounding  surface  water  after  rain ;  scoop  out  a  hole  in 
the  earth's  surface  in  the  shape  of  a  spoon  or  bowl,  sloping 
gradually  all  round  to  the  centre  and  deepest  part,  which 
need  not  be  deeper  than  from  eighteen  inches  to  three  feet, 
according  to  width  and  length ,  the  edges,  to  admit  the 
water  running  into  it  freely,  must  be  kept  a  little  under  the 
earth's  natural  surface.  Then  puddle  the  whole  of  its  face 
with  six  inches  of  well-wrought  clay,  paving  it  with  bricks 
laid  flat,  and  giving  it  all  over  a  little  coat  of  Portland 
cement.  Thus  you  have  a  first-class  and  lasting  catchpit  to 
hold  water  most  of  the  year,  indeed,  the  whole  season. 
Pheasants  are  expected  to  remain  in  covert  for  food  and 
safety  from  September  to  February,  and  then  there  is 
certainly  always  plenty  of  water.  After  February  the 
pheasant  likes  to  go  further  away,  and,  sooa  after  the  gun  is 
withdrawn,  is  pretty  sure  to  get  distributed  about  in  search 
of  insects  and  various  root.  Pheasants  rove  about  quietly 
during  their  breeding  season,  but  little  is  seen  or  heard  of 
them  after  April  till  corn  harvest,  as  they  live  a  quiet, 
secluded  life  through  summer.  I  have  made  catchpools  by 
casing  them  only  with  puddled  clay.  One  disadvantage  of 
this  is,  in  a  long  dry  tiuie  the  water  gets  low,  and  the  clay 
sides  becoming  exposed,  contract,  crack,  and  allow  the  water 
to  run  to  waste  if  they  are  not  looked  to  when  rain  does 
come.  There  is  also  another  way  in  which  I  have  had  catch- 
pools made  where  natural  gravel  abounds,  namely,  to  make  it 
into  concrete  and  case  the  bottom  and  sides  with  this  only. 
It  answers  well,  and  saves  the  labour  and  expense  of  getting 
bricks  from  a  distance.  Every  feeder  knows  that  dry  barley 
and  buckwheat  in  sheaf,  and  stacked  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
preserves,  and  some  pulled  out  and  shaken  about  occasionally, 
with  a  change  of  maize,  will  keep  the  pheasants  in  good 
condition ;  but  it  does  not    occur  to   everyone   that  a  good 


FEEDING  IN  COVERTS.  59 

supply  of  water  near  their  feeding  ground  has  a  considerable 
influence  on  their  habits.  After  feeding  heartily  on  dry 
food,  they  will  stray  for  water  if  there  be  none  handy,  and 
will  stay  away  afterwards  till  hungry  again,  thus  running  the 
risk  of  being  shot  during  their  wanderings.  To  keep 
pheasants  in  their  own  coverts,  take  means  of  making  them 
fond  of  them,  even  though  there  be  no  water  near  I  have 
found  Jerusalem  artichokes  the  best  means  of  attraction. 
They  are  so  fond  of  these  tubers  that  they  will  hunt  them  by 
sight  or  smell  from  any  obscure  corner.  Give  them  also 
potatoes  (small  and  large),  mangold  wurtzel,  carrots,  white- 
hearted  cabbage,  and  savoys,  all  of  which  they  will  readily 
eat,  and  which  not  only  prevent  their  straying  for  water,  but 
afford  a  change  of  food  that  is  genial  and  natural  to  their 
taste  and  well-doing,  besides  economising  their  dry  corn  food. 
Where  the  coverts  abound  with  acorns,  beechmast,  Spanish 
chesnuts,  and  groundnuts,  the  pheasant  requires  but  little 
feeding  till  the  middle  of  December.'" 

The  planting  of  Jerusalem  artichokes  on  waste  spots  and 
coverts  will  be  found  to  be  an  exceedingly  advantageous  mode 
of  feeding  pheasants  and  preventing  their  straying  from  their 
own  coverts.  When  once  established,  these  plants  readily 
reproduce  themselves  and  afford  a  large  amount  of  food 
for  the  birds.  For  preventing  pheasants  straying,  the  use  of 
raisins  scattered  in  the  coverts  is  particularly  advantageous. 
They  will  attract  birds  even  from  distant  coverts  to  so  great 
an  extent  that  the  owners  of  these  latter  may  have  to  employ 
them  in  their  own  defence.  So  attractive  are  raisins  to 
pheasants  that  the  birds  are  not  unfrequently  captured  by 
poachers  by  means  of  a  fish  hook  baited  with  a  raisin  and 
suspended  about  the  height  of  a  running  bird's  head  from  the 
ground. 

The  following  vignette  shows  the  extraordinary  manner  in 
which  wounded  and  malformed  pheasants  adapt  themselves  to 
new  conditions  of  life.  It  represents  most  accurately  the  head 
of  a  ring-necked  pheasant  that  Avas  killed  by  Mr.  Godwin  on 


60 


PHEASANTS  FOR   COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 


Lord  Torrins^ton's  estate.  The  bird  was  in  very  fair  condition, 
weighing  21b.  5oz.,  and  had  thirty-three  beech  nuts  in  its 
crop.  Both  mandibles  had  been  cut  off  in  front  of  the  nostrils, 
most  probably  by  a  strong  steel  trap,  the  tongue,  however, 
had  escaped,  and  protruded  from  the  mouth.  It  is  difficult  to 
imagine  that  the  bird  had  the  power  of  taking  up  small 
grains,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  it  fed  mainly  on  beech 
nuts,  which  it  could  readily  take  into  its  mouth. 


CHAPTER     Y. 


MANAGEMENT   OF   PHEASANTS   IN   PRESERVES 
(CONTINUED). 


REARING   AND   PROTECTION. 


m  ITH  regard  to  the  rearing  of  pheasants  in  preserves 
but  little  need  be  said  :  the  less  they  are  interfered 

r 


J^^         with  the  better.     No  good  can  possibly  come  from 


disturbing  the  sitting  hens,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
M)  gi'eat  amount  of  mischief  may  accrue.  When  leaving 
L.  the  nest  quietly  in  order  to  seek  food,  the  hen  does  so 

in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
numerous  enemies,  as  crows,  magpies,  jays,  &c.,  that  are  on 
the  watch  to  discover  and  devour  her  eggs ;  but  driven  off  by 
the  prying  intrusion  of  a  visitor,  she  departs  without  caution, 
and  makes  known  the  situation  of  her  concealed  nest.  The 
only  circumstance  warranting  any  interference  with  the  nests- 
of  the  wild  birds  is  the  occurrence  of  a  greater  number  of 
eggs  than  the  parent  hen  is  capable  of  rearing  as  young- 
birds,  should  the  whole  of  them  be  hatched.  A  hen  pheasant 
is  rarely  seen  with  more  than  six  or  seven  young,  at  least 
when  they  have  arrived  at  any  size ;  and  as  she  not 
unfrequently  lays  a  larger  number  of  eggs,  it  is  an  advan- 
tageous plan  to  remove  all  beyond  eight  or  nine  for  the 
purpose  of  hatching  them  under  common  fanny ai'd  hens. 
Mr.  J.  Baily,  in  his  "  Pheasants  and  Pheasantries,"  say& 
that  if  "  a  keeper  knows  of  forty  nests,  seven  eggs  may 
be    safely    spared    from   each ;    this    will    give  two  hundred 


62  PHEASANTS  FOB    COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


and  eighty  eggs  for  tame  rearing";  but  sucli  a  degree  of 
prolificacy  in  Avild  pheasants  is  a  higher  average  than  has 
ever  come  under  my  notice. 

Another  point  of  very  considerable  importance  with  regard 
to  the  breeding  of  pheasants  in  preserves  is  the  number  of 
-cocks  that  should  be  left  in  the  spring  in  proportion  to  the 
number   of   hens.     There    is    no   doubt   whatever   that  in  a 
state  of  nature  pheasants  are  polygamous,  the  stronger  males 
driving  away  the  weaker,  and  taking  possession  of   several 
hens  to  constitute  their  seraglios ;  hence  the  custom  to  shoot 
down  most  of   the    cocks,  and  leave  all  the  hens,  even  the 
oldest   to    breed.      It    is    probable    that    this   procedure   is 
frequently  carried  too  far,  and  in  confirmation  of  this  view  I 
have  much  pleasure  in  quoting  Mr.  J.  D.  Dougall,  who,  in 
his  "  Shooting  Simplified,"  says  :  ''  It  is  customary  to  shoot 
cock  pheasants  only,  and  to  impose  a  fine  upon  the  sportsmen 
who  break  this  rule,  the  money  being  escheated  to  the  head 
keeper,  or  applied  to  defray  the  expenses  of  a  dinner  at  the 
end   of  the  season,   when  shootings   are  rented   by  a  party 
of    gentlemen.     This    rule   is  very  frequently  overstretched. 
It    should   not    be   forgotten   that   the   desired  end  may  be 
frustrated  by  having  too  many  hens,  as  well  as  by  haviug 
too   few,   and  in  whatever  way  the    disproportion    of   sexes 
is   caused,    the  result— deduction  in  increase— is  the  same. 
If   the   cocks  are   continually  killed  down,    few   male   birds 
will  arrive  at  that  complete  maturity  so  essential  to  producing 
a    healthy   stock.       On    the    other    hand,    if    the    hens    are 
continually  spared,  they  will  not  only  grow  out  of  proportion 
to  the  number  of  cocks,  but  the  aged  hens  will  beat  off  the 
two  and  three  year  old  birds.     Very  old  hens  should  certainly 
be  destroyed.     The  most  prolific  are  the  two  and  three  year 
old  birds." 

A  correspondent  who  supports  this  view  writes:  '^t  is 
very  certain  that  in  many  instances  too  few  cocks  are 
frequently  left  in  preserved  coverts  at  the  end  of  the  season  ; 
it    is    also    notorious    that    in    the   neighbourhood    of    many 


BEARING  AND  PROTECTION.  63 

preserves  a  uide  of  above  fourteen  birds  (and  I  have  known 
eighteen)  is  not  unfrequently  produced  from  an  outlying 
cock  and  hen  occupying  some  detached  covert,  and  yields 
the  best  birds  of  the  season  when  the  1st  of  October  arrives. 
With  respect  to  the  proportion  of  cocks  to  be  left  much  may 
be  written  about  it,  depending  upon  all  circumstances  con- 
nected with  the  ground  under  the  entire  control  of  the 
individual  seeking  to  preserve  a  given  stock  of  pheasants. 
In  all  cases,  in  my  opinion,  too  much  forbearance  is  shown  to 
hens  early  in  the  season,  and  much  too  little  towards  cocks 
at  the  end.  The  safe  plan,  in  all  cases,  is  to  adapt  one  or 
two  small  coverts,  as  much  in  the  centre  of  your  ground  as 
possible,  as  your  feeding  places  for  your  stock  birds,  aud 
before  the  middle  of  December  the  exact  number  of  birds 
which  by  judicious  management  you  have  collected  there 
may  be  ascertained  by  a  few  days'  careful  observation.  With 
attention  and  the  greatest  forbearance  towards  these  (no  old 
cocks  being  left  among  their  number),  you  may  kill  freely 
elsewhere,  and  insure  to  your  friends  and  yourself  plenty  of 
sport  the  following  season  from  them  and  their  progeny." 

With  regard  to  the  exact  proportion  of  sexes  left  in  the 
coverts,  it  is  difficult  to  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  conclusion. 
One  writer  states :  "  It  would  be  to  the  advantage  of 
preservers  of  pheasants  if  they  would,  before  it  is  too  late, 
refrain  from  shooting  the  cock  birds  too  close,  as  most  game 
preservers,  I  presume,  wish  to  have  as  good  and  numerous 
a  stock  of  pheasants  as  they  can  for  breeding;  and  the 
reason  why  so  many  are  disappointed  in  this  respect  is  for 
want  of  more  cock  birds.  There  should  be  left  at  least  one 
cock  for  every  three  hens,  as  eggs  then  would  be  more 
plentiful,  the  chicks  stronger,  and  better  able  to  contend  with 
a  wet  season  and  the  numerous  enemies  they  have  to  battle 
with." 

The  frequent  occurrence  of  old  barren  hens  that  have 
assumed  either  wholly  or  in  part  the  plumage  of  the  male  is 
^  proof,  if  one  were  wanting,  that  in  many  coverts  the  old 


(34  PHEASANTS  FOR   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


worn     out     beus     ai-e     left     longer     than    is    desirable    or 
profitable. 

The  chapters  on  the  "  Management  of  Pheasants  in  Pre- 
serves "  would  be  very  incomplete  without  the  consideration  of 
the  best  means  of  protecting  them  against  their  numerous 
enemies.  The  chief  four-footed  depredators  are  cats,  foxes, 
hedgehogs,  and  polecats.  Their  other  enemies  are  feathered 
and  unfeathered.  Amongst  the  former  are  rooks,  croAvs, 
magpies,  jackdaws,  and  jays,  all  great  destroyers  of 
eggs.  But  the  unfeathered  bipeds,  known  as  poachers,  are 
perhaps  the  most  destructive.  By  far  the  greater  number 
of  pheasants  purloined  by  the  poacher  are  shot  at  night ; 
this  destruction  may  be  prevented  in  great  part,  without 
the  necessity  for  night  watching,  by  having  suitable  coverts, 
as  has  been  already  fully  explained  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
Where  larches  and  other  trees  with  exposed  horizontal 
branches  abound,  recourse  should  be  had  to  mock  pheasants, 
which  are  excessively  annoying  to  poachers,  as  they  cause 
them  to  expend  ammunition  uselessly  and  alarm  the  neigh- 
bouring keepers,  without  any  profitable  result.  Mock 
pheasants,  quite  incapable  of  being  distinguished  from  the 
real  birds  at  night,  may  be  made  of  hay  bands,  rushes,  or 
fern,  bound  with  tarred  twine  or  wire  on  a  stick  about  two 
feet  long.  Capt.  Darwin,  in  his  "  Game  Preserver's  Manual,'' 
writing  of  mock  pheasants,  states  "  they  are  very  easily 
made,  but  their  situations  should  be  often  A^aried.  Some 
keepers  make  them  of  board  cut  into  the  shape  of  a  pheasant. 
These  are  of  little  use,  for  a  poacher  gets  under  them  and 
sees  at  once  what  they  are.  Others  make  the  body  of  wood, 
roughly  turned  in  a  lathe,  and  nail  a  strip  of  wood  on  it  for 
a  tail,  or  with  real  tail  feathers  stuck  in.  The  best  mode  of 
making  mock  pheasants  after  all  is  as  follows:  Get  a  bunch 
of  long  hay  and  roll  it  round  a  stick  till  it  is  the  size  of  a 
pheasant's  body,  leaving  enough  for  a  tail;  wrap  it  with  thin 
copper  wire  down  to  the  end  of  the  tail;  cut  a  peg  about  six 
inches  long  and  as  thick  as  a  lead  pencil ;  wind  a  bit  of  hay 


REARING   AND   PROTECTION.  65 

round  the  end  to  make  a  head,  and  run  the  peg  into  the  body. 
Tie  these  imitations  on  the  branches  of  larch  trees  here  and 
there.  Pheasants  prefer  this  kind  of  tree  to  others,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  boughs  coming  out  straight,  and  so  allowing 
them  a  level  surface  to  sit  on.  In  woods  where  there  are  no 
foxes,  and  where  the  ground  vermin  has  been  well  killed 
down,  it  is  a  good  plan  (especially  if  you  think  it  a  likely 
night  for  poachers)  to  unroost  the  pheasants  in  the  evening. 
They  will  not  fly  up  again  that  night.  If  you  begin  by 
unroosting  the  pheasants  when  they  are  young,  and  have 
only  flown  up  a  few  nights,  they  will  take  to  roosting  on  the 
ground  altogether,  and  never  fly  up  at  all.  Pheasants  thafc 
have  not  been  accustomed  to  be  driven  down  at  all  are  made 
rather  shy  by  the  frequent  repetition  of  this  performance,  and 
it  may  drive  them  away.  They  are  very  easily  frightened. 
If  you  begin  shooting  rabbits,  &c.,  they  will  take  the  alarm. 
They  can't  stand  guns  going  off  constantly  in  the  coverts 
where  they  are." 

Imitation  pheasants  thus  made  Avill  only  last  a  single 
season  ;  should  anything  more  permanent  be  desired,  recourse 
must  be  had  to  those  made  of  wood,  which  may  be  cheaply 
and  efficiently  constructed  on   the  following   plan.      Take  a 


fir  pole,  saw  it  through  at  an  angle  of  45°;  this  cut,  when 
rounded  off,  forms  the  breast  of  the  bird;  a  cut  at  22^°  forms 
the  tail-end.  So,  by  making  alternate  cuts  at  45°  and  22^°, 
you  may  cut  up  the  pole  without  waste,  as  shown  in  the  plan. 
A  cut  lath  forms  a  capital  tail,  which  should  be  put  on  nearly 
perpendicular,  as  pheasants  roost  with  the  tail  hanging  down. 


the  head  is  easily  made   out  of  the  upper  end  of  the  pole, 
where  too  small  for  the  body.     Daub  over  with  some  oil  paint, 

F 


66  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 

bore  a  large  hole  in  the  body  for  the  nail^  which  is  to  be 
driven  into  the  branch.  Place  these  mock  birds  pretty  thick 
where  pheasants  roost.  By  boring  the  hole  in  the  body 
lin.  diameter  they  will,  when  placed  on  a  nail,  move  with 
the  wind,  when  the  deception  is  perfect  enough,  as  they  are 
difficult  to  distinguish  from  a  pheasant,  even  ia  daylight. 
Whatever  kind  of  mock  pheasant  is  employed,  they  should 
not  be  placed  too  near  public  roads  or  footpaths,  and  in 
those  cases  in  which  they  are  liable  to  observation  during 
the  day  they  should  be  moved  frequently. 

Alarm  guns  set  in  coverts  with  wires  leading  in  different 
directions  are  most  valuable  as  alarming  poachers,  and 
indicating  the  locality  in  which  they  are  pursuing  their 
•depredations.  One  of  the  best,  and  certainly  the  cheapest, 
alarm  guns  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  is  that  devised 
by  Captain  Darwin,  and  described  in  his  useful  manual  on 
Game  Preserving,  which  has  been  too  long  out  of  print.  The 
author  writes  :  "  I  have  constructed  an  alarm  gun  which 
combines  the  desiderata  of  cheapness  and  simplicity  more 
completely  than  any  I  have  yet  seen.  I  do  not  lay  claim  to 
the  invention  of  this  gun,  but  I  certainly  find  I  can  adopt 
materials  in  its  construction  that  will  come  to  a  tenth  part  of 
the  money  usually  charged ;  in  fact,  any  tolerable  mechanic 
ought  to  make  it  in  an  hour.  It  is  formed  as  follows  :  get  a 
piece  of  iron  gas  pipe,  three  inches  long  and  thi-ee-quarters 
bore.  At  the  threaded  end  make  a  plug  of  iron  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  thick,  and  tapped  in  the  centre  for  a  nipple.  Drive 
this  plug  into  the  barrel,  and  braze  it.  The  nipple  is  then 
screwed  in.  Then  get  a  corresponding  piece  of  the  gas-pipe, 
from  two  i'eet  six  inches  to  three  feet  long,  also  threaded  at 
the  end.  Screw  the  collar  (that  always  goes  along  with  this 
sort  of  gas  pipe)  on  to  the  long  piece  as  tight  as  it  will  go. 
The  gun  is  now  complete  with  the  exception  of  the  hammer, 
which  is  a  piece  of  round  iron  about  a  foot  long,  and  slipping 
easily  down  the  barrel.  To  set  the  gun  you  must  tie  the  long 
barrel  fast  to  the  stem  of  a  tree  in  the  plantation,  with  the 


BEARING  AND   PROTECTION.  67 

short  barrel  downwards.  Unscrew  the  latter  and  load  it  with 
a  couple  of  charges  of  powder,  and  put  on  the  cap,  which  you 
should  cover  with  some  beeswax  and  suet  mixed.  Then  screw 
the  short  barrel  into  the  long  one.  Drill  a  small  hole  through 
the  loose  piece  of  iron  about  four  inches  from  one  end,  and 
put  it  in  the  barrel  with  a  nail  or  peg  in  the  small  hole,  and 
a  string  from  the  nail  going  down  the  side  of  the  tree  in  the 
direction  you  may  choose.  Mind  and  not  have  the  wire  so 
low  that  a  dog  can  let  it  off.  When  the  wire  is  touched  it 
draws  the  nail,  and  the  hammer,  falling  down  on  the  barrel, 
lets  the  cap  off.  Being  fastened  up  in  a  tree,  and  close  to  the 
stem,  it  can  catch  the  eye  of  no  one,  and  merely  has  to  be 
shifted  occasionally,  though  of  course  there  is  no  need  to  do 
this  until  after  it  has  been  fired.  After  all,  nothing  daunts 
poachers  so  much  as  pit-falls  made  in  the  woods.  They 
should  be  about  seven  feet  deep,  and  made  with  the  sides 
slanting,  so  that  the  chamber  is  larger  at  the  bottom  than  at 
the  top.  Unless  boarded  all  round,  the  soil  will  fall  in.  The 
opening  should  be  four  feet  square,  and  be  covered  with 
sticks  and  sods,  or  anything  resembling  the  surrounding 
ground.  Poachers  are  very  shy  of  venturing  into  woods 
where  you  have  these  pit-falls." 

Alarm  guns  discharging  wooden  or  other  plugs  upwards 
or  horizontally  should  never  be  used,  as  danger  to  human 
life  always  accompanies  their  employment.  ~  It  is  almost 
unnecessary  to  remark  that  alarm  guns  of  various  forms  can 
be  purchased  at  any  guu  makers. 

The  destruction  effected  in  preserves  during  the  nesting- 
season  by  crows,  jackdaws,  magpies,  jays,  and  other  egg- 
eating  birds  is  well  known,  and  can  only  be  remedied  by  the 
trapping  or  shooting  of  the  culprits.  The  question  as  to  the 
influence  of  the  rook  in  pheasant  coverts  is  one  of  those 
respecting  which  there  is  much  to  be  said  on  both  sides.  The 
rook  is  so  often  regarded  as  a  valuable  ally  to  the  agricul- 
turist, by  destroying  an  enormous  number  of  grubs,  wire 
worms,  &c.,  that  its  case  claims  attentive  consideration. 
F   2 


68  PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

I  have  known  many  cases  where  pheasants  have  sat, 
and  reared  their  young  safely  ahnost  immediately  under 
a  rookery.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  no  doubt  but 
that,  when  pressed  for  food,  or  where  they  once  acquire 
the  habit,  rooks  will  destroy  pheasants^  eggs  in  large 
numbers. 

Colonel  J.  Whyte,  Newtown  Manor,-  Sligo,  Avrites  as 
follows  respecting  the  rook  :  "  There  appears  some  doubt 
whether  rooks  suck  pheasants'  eggs,  or  whether  the  carrion 
crow  is  not  the  real  depredator.  Perhaps  what  follows  may 
set  the  question  at  rest.  About  four  years  since.  Lord 
Clonbrock  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  known  rooks  eat  the  eggs 
of  pheasants.  My  idea  was  that  they  might  do  so  occasionally, 
but  not  as  a  custom.  His  lordship  replied  :  '  The  rooks  about 
me  have  within  the  last  year  or  two  taken  to  hunt  up  and 
destroy  the  eggs  as  regularly  as  if  they  were  so  many  magpies. 
I  did  not  believe  my  keeper  at  first,  but,  going  myself  to  look 
out,  I  saw  them  regularly  beating  up  and  down  a  piece  of 
rough  ground  where  the  pheasants  nest,  and  when  they  found 
one  they  would  rise  up  a  few  yards  in  the  air  and  then  pounce 
down  on  it.^  Lord  Dunsandle's  place  is  within  fifteen  or 
sixteen  miles  of  Lord  Clonbrock  ;  there  are  three  rookeries  in 
it,  and  the  first  question  I  asked  the  keeper  on  my  arrival 
there  to  shoot  was,  ^Do  the  rooks  suck  or  damage  the 
pheasants'  eggs  ?  '  The  answer  was,  '  No  ; '  nor  did  they  do 
so  till  this  year.  But  about  a  week  ago  I  received  from  Lord 
Dunsandle  a  letter,  in  which  he  said,  '  This  year  the  rooks 
have  taken  to  destroying  my  pheasants'  eggs,  and  the 
mischief  they  have  done  is  incredible  ;  the  fields  are  strewn 
with  broken  eggs.'  It  would  therefore  appear  that  not  only 
do  rooks  destroy  eggs,  but  that  they  take  to  it  in  a  sudden 
and  unaccountable  manner.  The  reason  that  no  shells 
are  to  be  found  under  the  trees  in  a  rookery  is,  that  the 
rook  breaks  and  eats  the  eggs  on  the  spot.  Jackdaws  will 
eat  eggs  whenever  they  cm  find  them,  and  my  keeper 
assures  me  that  a  short  time  since  he  saw  one  take  a  little 


BEARING   AND   PROTECTION.  69 

rabbit  up  in  his  claws  several  yards,  and  then  drop  it  on  his 
approach." 

Mr.  Leno,  a  very  extensive  pheasant  breeder,  states  the 
case  still  more  forcibly  : — "  My  experience  is,  that  rooks  will 
destroy  pheasants'  eggs  whenever  they  happen  to  find  them 
out.  In  one  week  a  rook  came  twice  and  settled  down  in  my 
pheasantry,  and  took  an  egg  away  each  time  :  and  where 
rooks  abound,  if  perchance  a  pheasant's  or  partridge^s  nest  is 
left  by  the  mowers,  the  rooks  may  be  seen  crowding  around 
the  patch  of  grass  left  for  shelter,  and  the  eggs  are  finished 
in  quick  time.  It  is  useless  to  leave  a  nest  exposed  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  rooks,  as  they  are  sure  to  eat  them." 

Mr.  Harman,  of  Eiverstown,  co.  Sligo,  writes  :  '^  I  can 
confirm  the  destruction  of  pheasants'  eggs.  A  few  years 
ago,  in  a  dry  spring,  with  a  north-east  wind  for  many  weeks, 
when  the  rooks  could  not  bore  for  their  accustomed  food, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  pheasants'  eggs — i.e.,  the  shells 
— were  found  under  the  rookery  near  the  house,  having  been 
taken  by  the  rooks  to  feed  their  young,  other  food  failing 
them.  I  have  caught  them  when  baiting  traps  with  eggs  for 
magpies." 

Mr.  J.  E.  Harting  informs  me  that  on  one  occasion,  in  the 
month  of  April,  about  the  14th  or  15th,  he  saw  a  rook  in  the 
act  of  carrying  off  a  pheasant's  egg  from  a  copse.  The  bird 
was  carrying  the  egg  upon  the  point  of  the  bill,  and  on  being 
fired  at  he  dropped  it.  There  was  a  large  and  irregularly 
shaped  hole  towards  the  larger  end.  On  the  very  ground 
where  this  occurred,  my  informant  had  heard  the  keeper  say 
that  he  had  on  more  than  one  occasion  shot  rooks  in  the  act  of 
carrying  off  pheasants'  eggs. 

The  balance  of  the  evidence  for  and  against  the  rook  in 
respect  of  conduct  regarding  the  eggs  of  pheasants,  appears 
to  show  that,  when  hard  pressed  for  food,  rooks  will  even 
destroy  not  only  eggs  but  also  the  young  birds.  A  correspon- 
dent writes  as  follows  : — "  On  June  13  my  keeper  observed 
about  half  a  dozen  rooks  engaged  amongst  the  coops  of  young 


70  PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

pheasants,  and,  suspecting  their  object,  drove  them  off.  The 
next  morning,  having  fed  and  watered  the  young  birds,  he 
went  to  his  cottage,  and,  looking  out  about  six  o'clock,  saw  a 
strong  detachment  of  rooks  from  a  neighbouring  colony  in 
great  excitement  amongst  the  coops.  He  ran  down,  a 
distance  of  two  hundred  yards,  as  fast  as  possible,  but  before 
he  arrived  they  had  succeeded  in  killing,  and  for  the  most 
part  carrying  off,  from  forty  to  fifty  birds,  two  or  three  weeks 
old.  As  he  came  amongst  them  they  flew  up  in  all  directions^ 
their  beaks  full  of  the  spoil.  The  dead  birds  not  carried 
away  had  all  of  their  heads  pulled  off,  and  most  of  their  legs 
and  wings  torn  from  the  body.  I  have  long  known  that 
rooks  destroy  partridges'  nests  and  eat  the  eggs  when  short 
of  other  food,  but  have  never  known  a  raid  of  this  descrip- 
tion. I  attribute  it  to  the  excessive  drought,  which  has  so 
starved  the  birds  by  depriving  them  of  their  natural  insect 
food  that  they  are  driven  to  depredation.  It  will  be  necessary 
to  be  on  guard  for  some  time ;  bad  habits  once  acquired  may 
last  even  more  than  one  season.  Probably  the  half-dozen 
rooks  first  seen  amongst  the  coops  tasted  two  or  three,  and, 
finding  them  eatable,  brought  their  friends  in  numbers  the 
next  morning." 

Since  the  issue  of  the  later  editions  much  evidence  has  been 
accumulated  respecting  the  destruction  of  eggs  and  young 
pheasants  in  preserves  by  rooks.  In  the  spring  of  1897,  at 
the  residence  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey  at  Elsenham,  it  was 
discovered  that  the  rooks  had  suddenly  taken  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  eggs  of  the  tui-keys  which  were  allowed  to  breed 
in  the  open,  and  three  nests  had  been  desti-oyed  during  the 
nighty  the  rooks  being  caught  at  their  evil  work  by  the 
keeper  and  one  of  the  visitors.  No  less  than  fifty  eggs  had 
been  destroyed,  those  only  escaping  on  which  the  hens  were 
sitting.  Having  destroyed  the  whole  of  the  turkey  eggs 
available,  the  rooks  then  turned  their  attention  to  the 
pheasant  eggs  in  the  coverts,  the  report  of  the  head  keeper 
the  next  morning  being  that  the  eggs  that  had  been  left  and 


REABING   AND   PROTECTION.  71 

not  collected  for  liatchinpf  under  hens  had  been  destroyed  by 
them^  and  during  the  season  many  hundreds  of  eggs  were 
thus  lost  before  they  could  be  collected  by  the  keepers. 
Since  then  the  rooks  have  been  kept  in  check. 

Crows  are  even  more  destructive  than  rooks.  As  an 
instance  of  their  evil  influence,  I  may  quote  from  Mr.  Ogilvie 
Grant's  work  on  "  Game  Birds."  Mr.  Grant  writes  as  follows  : 
"  I  was  passing  through  a  Scotch  fir  plantation  forming  part 
of  a  large  estate  in  the  North  of  Scotland  where  thousands 
of  pheasants  are  annually  reared  and  turned  down.  The 
plantation  ran  along  about  a  hundred  feet  above  the  rocky 
sea-coast,  and  as  we  advanced  along  the  slippery  path,  we 
found  several  sucked  pheasants'  eggs,  evidently  the  work  of 
crows;  nor  had  we  gone  far  before  we  came  suddenly  upon  a 
whole  family  of  hooded  rascals,  five  young  and  two  old  birds. 
In  the  course  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  we  counted  over  a 
hundred  empty  shells  which  had  evidently  been  carried  to  the 
path  and  there  devoured.  How  many  more  might  have  been 
discovered  had  we  searched  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but  we 
saw  ample  evidence  of  the  wholesale  destruction  which  a 
family  of  crows  is  capable  of  committing  among  pheasants' 
eggs." 

The  moorhen,  waterhen,  or  common  gallinule,  is 
occasionally  destx'uctive  to  young  pheasants.  Mr.  Gould 
recounted  the  evidence  in  "  The  Birds  of  Great  Britain,"  and 
Mr.  H.  J.  Partridge,  of  Hockham  Hall,  Thetford,  writing  to 
the  Zoologist,  stated  that  "  At  the  beginning  of  July,  the 
keeper  having  lost  several  pheasants  about  three  weeks  old 
from  a  copse,  and  having  set  traps  in  vain  for  winged  and 
four-footed  vermin,  determined  to  keep  watch  for  the 
aggressor,  when,  after  some  time,  a  moorhen  was  seen 
walking  about  near  the  copse ;  the  keeper,  supposing  it  only 
came  to  eat  the  young  pheasants'  food,  did  not  shoot  it,  until 
he  saw  the  moorhen  strike  a  young  pheasant,  which  it  killed 
immediately,  and  devoured,  except  the  leg  and  wing  bones. 
The  remains  agreed  exactly  with  eight  found  before." 


72         PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 

Lord  Lilford,  writing  in  "  Dresser's  Birds  of  Europe," 
says  :  "  I  look  upon  tlie  waterlien  as  an  enemy  to  the  game- 
preserver,  not  only  from  the  quantity  of  pheasant  food  which 
it  devoui's,  but  from  the  fact  that  it  will  attack,  kill,  and  eat 
young  birds  of  all  sorts.  The  bird  is  a  great  favourite  of 
mine,  and  I  should  be  sorry  to  encourage  its  destruction,  but 
I  am  persuaded  that  it  is  a  dangerous  neighbour  to  young 
game  birds  "  ;  and  in  his  "  Birds  of  Northamptonshire,"  he 
adds,  ^'  We  cannot  acquit  them  of  the  charge  of  a  very 
pugnacious  and  destructive  tendency  amongst  their  own  and 
other  species  of  birds,  and  they  are  most  certainly  bad  neigh- 
bours for  young  pheasants  and  partridges,  as  they  not  only 
consume  a  good  deal  of  the  food  intended  for  game  birds, 
but  will  now  and  then  capture  and  devour  the  birds  them- 


The  common  kestrel,  or  windhover,  so  well-known  as  a 
destroyer  of  field  mice  and  rats,  has  also  been  accused  of 
attacking  young  pheasants.  Mr.  J.  H.  Gurney,  of  Northrepps, 
one  of  the  highest  authorities  on  accipitrine  birds,  writes  as 
follows  : — *'  Mr.  Stevenson,  in  his  article  on  the  kestrel  in 
the  '  Birds  of  Norfolk,'  remarks :  '  That  some  kestrels  carry 
off  young  partridges  as  well  as  other  small  birds  during  the 
nesting  season,  is  two  well  authenticated  as  a  fact  for  even 
their  warmest  advocates  to  gainsay.'  For  many  years  I  have 
endeavoured  to  collect  reliable  information  on  this  point,  and 
I  am  convinced  of  the  correctness  of  Mr.  Stevenson's  opinion 
above  quoted;  but  there  is  this  difference  between  the 
sparrowhawk  and  the  kestrel  in  their  habits  of  preying  on 
young  partridges  and  pheasants — viz.,  that  the  kestrel  only 
destroys  them  when  very  young,  and  the  sparrowhawk 
continues  to  attack  them  long  after  they  have  grown  too  large 
to  be  prey  for  the  kestrel.  To  particularise  two  instances  : 
Many  years  ago,  a  very  young  partridge  was  brought  to  me 
which  had  been  taken  out  of  a  kestrel's  nest  at  Easton,  in 
Norfolk;  and  a  gamekeeper  in  this  parish,  who  is  as  trust- 
worthy an  observer    of  such    matters   as  any  man  I  know. 


BEARING   AND   PROTECTION.  73 

saw  a  hen  kestrel  take  up  a  very  young  pheasant  in  its 
talons  and  rise  with  it  about  eight  feet  from  the  ground ; 
my  informant  then  fired  at  the  depredator  with  a  small 
pistol,  when  it  dropped  its  prey,  which,  though  somewhat 
injured,  ultimately  recovered ;  and  an  instance  of  a  young- 
pheasant  found  in  the  nest  of  a  kestrel  was  recorded  in  the 
Field  of  May  13,  1868." 

Mr.  Booth,  in  his  "  Kough  Notes,"  has  carefully  investi- 
gated the  accusations  against  the  kestrel,  and  he  maiutains 
that  it  is  one  of  our  most  useful  birds,  and  a  decided  ally  to 
the  game  preserver,  more  especially  as  a  destroyer  of  rats,  of 
which  it  kills  large  numbers.  He  says  he  has  never  known 
the  kestrel  to  carry  off  young  broods  of  either  pheasants  or 
partridges,  but  that  the  damage  done  by  the  sparrowhawk  is 
often  attributed  to  the  kestrel. 

On  the  contrary,  Mr.  Marshall,  of  Wallingford,  writing  in 
the  Field,  of  June  17,  1899,  states  that  he  lost  twenty-three 
young  pheasants,  which  were  killed  bj^  one  male  kestrel,  and 
the  following  year  twenty  suifered  a  similar  fate,  the  kestrel 
being  seen  to  pounce  upon  and  carry  off  his  victims  in  full 
view.  Ultimately,  the  kestrel  forced  his  way  through  the 
narrow  space  between  the  coop  and  the  wire  run,  and  was 
captured  without  injury,  so  that  it  was  evident  that  the 
aggressor  was  not  a  sparrowhawk.  He  was  in  splendid 
plumage  and  kept  alive,  consequently,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
whatever  that  occasionally  a  kestrel  will  make  a  raid  on  a 
brood  of  young  pheasants ;  but  it  is  obviously  an  exceptional 
pi'actice,  and  the  good  services  rendered  by  the  bird  may 
plead  for  the  species,  although  it  may  be  desirable  to  destroy 
the  particular  aggressor. 

The  pheasant,  from  nesting  on  the  ground,  is  peculiarly 
exposed  to  the  attacks  of  four-footed  or  ground  vermin,  and 
the  escape  of  any  of  the  sitting  birds  and  their  eggs  from 
foxes,  polecats,  hedgehogs,  &c.,  appears  at  first  sight  almost 
impossible.  This  escape  is  attributed  by  many,  possibly  by 
the  majority,  of    sportsmen   to  the   alleged  fact  that  in  the 


74         PHEASANTS  FOR   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

birds  when  sitting  the  scent  which  is  given  out  by  the  animal 
at  other  times  is  suppressed;  in  proof  of  this  statement  is- 
adduced  the  fact  that  dogs,  even  those  of  the  keenest  powers 
of  smell,  will  pass  within  a  few  feet,  or  even  a  less  distance, 
of  a  sitting  pheasant  without  evincing  the  slightest  cognizance- 
of  her  proximity,  provided  she  is  concealed  from  sight.  By 
others  this  circumstance  is  denied,  they  reason  a  priori  that 
it  is  impossible  for  an  animal  to  suppress  the  secretions  and 
exhalations  natural  to  it — secretion  not  being  a  voluntary  act, 
I  believe,  however,  that  the  peculiar  specific  odour  of  the  bird 
is  suppressed  during  incubation,  not,  however,  as  a  voluntary 
act,  but  in  a  manner  Avhich  is  capable  of  being  accounted  for 
physiologically.  The  suppression  of  the  scent  during  incuba- 
tion is  necessary  to  the  safety  of  the  birds,  and  essential  to 
the  continuance  of  the  species.  I  believe  this  suppression 
is  due  to  what  may  be  termed  vicarious  secretion.  In  other 
words,  the  odoriferous  particles  which  are  usually  exhaled  by 
the  skin  are,  during  such  time  as  the  bird  is  sitting,  excreted 
into  the  intestinal  canal,  most  probably  into  the  ctecum  or 
the  cloaca.  The  proof  of  this  is  accessible  to  everj^one  ;  the 
excrement  of  a  common  fowl  or  pheasant,  when  the  bird  is 
not  sitting,  has,  when  first  discharged,  no  odour  akin  to  the 
smell  of  the  bird  itself.  On  the  other  hand,  the  excrement 
of  a  sitting  hen  has  a  most  remarkable  odour  of  the  fowl, 
but  highly  intensified.  We  are  all  acquainted  with  this  smell 
as  increased  by  heat  during  roasting;  and  practical  poultry 
keepers  must  have  remarked  that  the  excrement  discharged 
by  a  hen  on  leaving  the  nest  has  an  odour  totally  unlike 
that  discharged  at  any  other  time,  involuntarily  recalling 
the  smell  of  a  roasted  fowl,  highly  and  disagreeably  intensified. 
I  believe  the  explanation  of  the  whole  matter  to  be  as  follows  : 
the  suppression  of  the  natural  scent  is  essential  to  the  safety 
of  the  bird  during  incubation ;  that  at  such  time  vicarious 
secretion  of  the  odoriferous  particles  takes  place  into  the 
intestinal  canal,  so  that  the  bird  becomes  scentless,  and  in 
this  manner  her  safety  and  that  of  her  eggs  is  secured.     This 


BEARING   AND   PROTECTION.  75 

explanation  would  probably  apply  equally  to  partridges  and 
otlier  birds  nesting  on  the  ground. 

The  absence  of  scent  in  tlie  sitting  pheasant  is  most 
probably  the  explanation  of  the  fact  that  foxes  and  pheasants 
are  capable  of  being  reared  in  the  same  preserves ;  at  the 
same  time  the  keepers  are  usually  desirous  of  making 
assurance  doubly  sure^  by  scaring  the  foxes  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  nests  by  some  strong  and  offensive 
substance.  A  very  practical  gamekeeper  writes  as  follows  : — 
"  If  any  keeper  will  find  his  nests  and  sprinkle  a  little  gas 
tar  anywhere  about  them,  he  will  find  the  foxes  will  not  take 
the  bii-ds.  I  should,  as  a  keeper,  find  every  nest  possible,  and 
dress  the  bushes,  stumps  of  trees,  &c.,  near  the  place  of  such 
nest,  and  then  keep  away  entirely  till  I  thought  the  bird  had 
hatched,  as  constantly  haunting  a  bird^s  nest  is  the  most 
foolish  thing  that  can  be.  When  such  nests  are  once  found 
and  dressed,  let  the  keeper  look  out  and  trap  all  kinds  of 
vermin,  such  as  the  cat,  stoat,  fitchet,  weasel,  hedgehog,  or 
rat,  or  magpie,  jay,  hawk,  crow,  rook,  or  jackdaw.  These  are 
all  enemies  to  the  birds,  as  well  as  the  fox.  I  am  satisfied, 
as  a  gamekeeper,  that  with  good  vermin  trapping,  dressing 
near  the  nests,  and  good  bushing  and  pegging  of  land,  anyone 
will  have  plenty  of  game,  and  may  still  keep  plenty  of  foxes." 

Another  equally  efficacious  plan,  the  value  of  which  has 
been  repeatedly  proved,  is  to  fill  a  number  of  phials  with  the 
so-called  "  oil  of  animal  "  (also  known  as  oil  of  hartshorn  and 
DippeFs  oil),  and  suspend  them  uncorked  to  sticks  about 
eighteen  inches  long,  and  stick  two  or  three  round  each  nest, 
about  a  foot  from  it.  The  smell  of  the  oil  will  keep  the  foxes 
from  approaching. 

In  the  vicinity  of  dwellings,  there  is  no  more  dangerous 
enemy  to  pheasants  than  the  common  cat.  Captain  Darwin, 
in  his  "  Game  Preserver's  Manual,"  writes  as  follows  : — 
"  There  is  no  species  of  vermin  more  destructive  to  game  than 
the  domestic  cat.  People  not  aware  of  her  predatory  habits 
would    never    for    a    moment    suppose    that   the    household 


76  PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 

favourite  that  appears  to  be  dozing  so  innocently  by  the  fire 
is  most  probably  under  the  influence  of  fatigue  caused  by  a 
hard  night's  hunting  in  the  plantations.  How  different  also 
in  her  manner  is  a  cat  when  at  home  and  when  detected 
prowling  after  the  game.  In  the  first  of  the  two  cases  she  is 
tame  and  accessible  to  any  little  attentions ;  in  the  latter  she 
seems  to  know  she  is  doing  wrong,  and  scampers  off  home  as 
hard  as  she  can  go.  Luckily  there  is  no  animal  more  easily 
taken  in  a  trap,  if  common  cai*e  be  used  in  setting,"  but  box 
traps  with  drop  doors  open  at  both  ends,  are  much  the  most 
efficacious,  as  the  victims,  whether  cats,  dogs,  rats,  and  even 
foxes  walk  into  them  without  suspicion,  and,  treading  on  the 
treadle  in  the  middle,  cause  both  doors  to  fall  simultaneously, 
when  the  animal  is  secured  unharmed,  and  may  either  be 
liberated  or  shot  into  a  sack  and  drowned. 

Laying  poisoned  meat  is  now  illegal,  and  the  sale  of  arsenic 
to  private  persons  interdicted  by  statute ;  nevertheless  I 
would  caution  any  one  against  the  use  of  that  drug,  as  the 
employment  of  it  is  attended  with  much  cruelty,  as  it  is 
immediately  rejected  by  vomiting,  but  not  before  it  has  laid 
the  foundation  of  a  violent  and  painful  inflammation  of  the 
stomach,  from  which  the  animal  suffers  for  weeks,  but  rarely 
dies.  If  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  use  poison  for  cats,  a 
little  carbonate  of  baryta,  mixed  up  with  the  soft  roe  of  a  red 
herring,  is  the  most  certain  and  speedy  that  can  be  employed, 
but  a  good  keeper  should  know  how  to  keep  his  preserves 
clear  of  vermin  without  the  aid  of  poison. 

Hedgehogs  are  undoubtedly  destructive  to  eggs  as  well  as 
to  the  young  birds,  and  should  be  trapped  in  coverts  in  which 
pheasants  are  reared. 

Among  the  other  enemies  to  young  pheasants  that  attack 
them  occasionally  may  be  mentioned  adders,  and  even  farm- 
yard ducks  that  have  gained  access  to  the  coops. 


CHAPTEE    VI 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PHEASANTS  IN  CONFINEMENT. 


FORMATION  OF  PENS  AND  AVIARIES. 

|r  AVING    treated    of    pheasants    as    wild  birdS;,  tlieir 
rearing    and    management   in    enclosed    pens    and 
^r^-  aviaries     have    next     to     be    considered.       When 

pheasants  are  bred  for  turning  out  into  the 
coverts,  and  not  as  merely  ornamental  aviary  birds, 
'  the  system  of  movable  enclosures,  constructed  of  rough 
hurdles,  will  be  found  far  superior  to  any  more  elaborate 
contrivances,  for,  when  the  breeding  birds  are  kept  in  the 
same  place  year  after  year,  the  ground  becomes,  in  spite  of 
all  the  care  that  may  be  bestowed  on  it,  foul  and  tainted, 
disease  breaks  out  even  amongst  the  old  birds,  and  the 
successful  rearing  of  young  ones  is  hopeless. 

The  pens  should  be  situated  in  a  dry  situation,  sandy  or 
chalky  if  possible,  but  any  soil  not  retentive  of  wet  will  answer. 
If  the  surface  is  sloping  it  is  to  be  preferred,  as  the  rain  is  less 
likely  to  render  the  ground  permanently  damp.  Although 
cold  is  not  injurious  to  the  mature  birds,  and  they  require  no 
special  shelter,  the  south  side  of  a  hill  or  rising  ground  is  to 
be  chosen  in  prefei'ence,  as  the  young  stock  are  delicate. 
Common  wattled  hurdles,  made  seven  feet  long,  and  set  up 
on  end,  make  as  good  pens  as  can  be  desired;  they  should 
be  supported  by  posts  or  fir  poles  driven  firmly  into  the 
ground,  with  a  horizontal  pole  at  the  top,  to  which  the 
hurdles  are  bound  by  tarred  cord,  or,  still  better,  very  stout 


78  PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

flexible  binding  wire,  wliicli  should  also  be  used  to  secure 
them  together  at  top  and  bottom.  The  posts  should  be 
inside  the  pen,  as  better  calculated  to  resist  any  pressure 
from  without. 

The  hurdles  should  rest  on  the  ground  without  any- 
opening  below,  and  if  they  are  sunk  three  or  four  inches 
below  the  surface,  the  pens  will  be  more  secure  against  dogs 
and  foxes  or  any  animals  likely  to  scratch  their  way  under. 
The  size  of  these  pens  should  be  as  large  as  convenient ;  for  a 
cock  and  three  to  five  hens — the  utmost  number  that  should 
be  placed  together — as  many  hurdles  should  be  employed  as 
will  form  a  pen  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  feet  square,  the 
smaller  containing  625  square  or  supei-ficial  feet  of  surface; 
the  larger,  which  will  require  less  than  half  as  many  more 
hurdles,  containing  nearly  double  the  interior  space,  namely, 
1225  square  feet.  If  the  birds  are  full  winged,  these 
enclosures  must  be  netted  over  at  the  top  ;  for  this  purpose 
old  tanned  herring  netting,  which  can  be  bought  very  cheaply, 
will  be  found  much  better  than  wire-work,  as  the  pheasants 
are  apt,  when  frightened,  to  fly  up  against  the  top  of  the 
enclosure,  and,  if  it  be  of  wire,  to  break  their  necks  or 
seriously  injure  themselves.  Should  netting  be  employed, 
several  upright  poles,  with  cross  pieces  at  the  top,  are  required 
to  be  placed  at  equal  distances  to  support  the  netting,  and 
prevent  it  hanging  down  into  the  interior  of  the  pen.  A 
much  better  plan  is  to  leave  the  pen  quite  open  at  the  top, 
and  to  clip  one  of  the  wings  of  each  bird,  cutting  off  twelve 
or  fourteen  of  the  flight  feathers  close  but  not  into  the  quills. 
When  the  birds  cannot  fly  they  become  much  tamer,  are 
more  productive,  and  are  not  so  apt  to  injure  themselves  by 
dashing  about  wildly,  especially  if  there  be,  as  is  desirable, 
brushwood  cover  or  faggots  in  the  pen,  under  which  they 
■can  run  and  conceal  themselves.  Some  persons  are  in  the 
habit  of  pinioning  the  birds  by  cutting  off  the  last  joint 
of  the  wing,  thus  removing  permanently  the  ten  primary 
quills,  but  the  plan  is  not  to  be  recommended,  as  the  pinioned 


PENS   AND   AVIARIES.  79 

birds  are  quite  incapable  of  taking  due  care  of  themselves 
when  turned  out  into  the  open,  and  are  liable  to  fall  a  prey 
to  ground  vermin. 

As  illustrative  of  the  mode  in  which  a  large  number  of 
birds  can  be  successfully  kept  in  one  locality,  I  will  describe 
the  arrangements  which  I  saw  at  the  pheasantries  belonging 
to  Mr.  Leno,  a  very  successful  rearer.  The  birds  are  kept  in 
runs  enclosed  by  hurdles  betw^een  six  and  seven  feet  high. 
These  are  formed  of  stout  straight  larch  laths  nailed  to  cross 
pieces  of  oak  or  other  strong  wood,  and  are  fastened  to  stout 
posts  securely  driven  into  the  ground.  As  the  posts  are 
capable  of  being  easily  withdrawn  and  replaced,  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  moving  the  pens  year  after  year — a  most 
important  consideration  for  the  preservation  of  the  health  of 
the  birds.  Moreover,  by  employing  a  greater  or  smaller 
number  of  hurdles  and  posts,  pens  of  any  required  size 
may  be  constructed,  so  as  to  accommodate  a  larger  or  smaller 
number  of  birds.  On  my  visit,  the  runs  had  recently  been 
shifted  on  to  ne-w  ground,  which  consisted  of  young  hazel 
coppice,  which  had  been  partly  cleared.  The  surface  was 
covered  with  the  dead  leaves  of  last  yearns  growth  and  with 
short  underw^ood,  affording  ample  opportunity  for  the  birds  to 
amuse  themselves  by  scratching  for  insects  and  by  seeking 
food  amongst  the  leaves.  The  amount  of  undergrowth 
afforded  another  important  advantage,  that  the  birds,  on  the 
entrance  of  a  stranger,  could  run  under  shelter,  and  so 
conceal  themselves,  instead  of  dashing  about  wildly,  as  they 
would  otherwise  have  done.  No  roof  or  shelter  of  any  kind 
was  afforded  them,  had  such  been  erected  the  birds  would  only 
have  used  it  for  roosting  upon,  and  not  for  sleeping  under.  In 
each  pen  was  a  horizontal  pole,  supported  about  four  feet  from 
the  ground  by  a  post  at  each  end.  Across  this  was  laid  a 
number  of  stout  branches  and  long  faggots,  forming  a 
kind  of  shelter  to  which  the  birds  could  have  recourse, 
and  under  which  the  hens  would  occasionally  lay;  but  the 
chief  advantage  it  affords  is  that  of  a  roosting-place,  elevated 


80  PHEASANTS  FOR   COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 

from  the  ground,  and  so  keeping  the  birds  away  from  tlie 
cold  damp  soil  during  the  night.  The  sloping  arrangement 
of  these  branches  is  advantageous  to  the  birds,  as  all  of  them 
have  the  flight  feathers  of  one  wing  (not  both)  cut  short; 
they  are  thus  destitute  of  the  power  of  flight,  and  consequently 
inclined  branches,  up  which  they  can  walk  and  down  which 
they  can  descend  without  violence,  are  exceedingly  useful. 
These  runs,  open  as  they  are,  afford  all  the  shelter  required, 
provided  they  are  not  placed  on  the  north  or  east  side  of  a 
hill  or  rising  ground.  Their  advantage  over  permanent 
buildings  is  great;  in  the  latter  pheasants  cannot  be  success- 
fully reared,  as  the  ground  becomes  tainted,  epidemic  disease 
breaks  out,  and  the  ground  also  becomes  charged  with  the 
ova  of  the  Sclerostoina  syngamufi,  or  gapeworm,  which  often, 
causes  great  havoc  amongst  the  young  poults.  Both  of  these 
evils  may  be  in  great  measure  avoided  by  shifting  the  runs  as 
frequently  as  may  be  convenient.  The  runs  may  be  made  of 
any  size,  so  as  to  accommodate  one  cock  and  three  or  four 
hens,  or  a  larger  number  of  birds.  Care  must  be  taken  not 
to  have  them  too  small,  as  the  birds  when  closely  confined, 
often  take  to  pecking  one  another^s  feathers — an  evil  which 
is  occasionally  carried  on  until  the  persecuted  bird  is  killed. 
When  ruus  are  made  small,  the  ground  very  rapidly  becomes 
tainted,  and  the  birds  consequently  diseased.  The  vigorous, 
healthy  aspect  of  the  numerous  birds  I  saw  at  these 
pheasantries  was  evidently  owing,  in  great  part  at  least,  to 
the  large  size  of  the  iuclosures,  and  the  fresh  ground  on  to 
which  they  are  so  frequently  shifted.  No  nest-places  are 
made  or  required ;  the  hens  generally  drop  their  eggs  about 
at  random,  and  they  should  be  looked  for  and  collected  at 
least  twice  a  day.  This  is  most  important,  as,  if  any  eggs 
are  chipped  or  broken  the  birds  may  acquire  the  bad  habit  of 
pecking  them,  which  is  quickly  acquired  by  all  others  in  the 
run,  and  will  be  found  exceedingly  difficult  to  eradicate.  The 
food  employed  is  good  sound  barley,  with  a  certain  proportion 
of  buckwheat.     This  is  varied  by  soft  food  consisting  of  meal. 


FORMATION  OF  PENS.  gl 


with  which,  at  times,  a  small  proportion  of  greaves  is  mixed 
to  supply  the  place  of  the  animal  food  the  pheasants  would 
obtain  in  a  state  of  nature.  Acorns  are  occasionally  employed, 
but  the  birds  prefer  grain.  The  food  is  strewed  broadcast  on 
the  ground ;  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  a  constant  suppl}^ 
of  clean  fresh  water  is  provided  for  the  birds.  The  young- 
are  hatched  under  common  barnyard  fowls,  and  are  j'eared  on 
custard,  biscuit,  meal,  rice,  and  millet,  with  occasionally  a 
little  hempseed — ants^  eggs,  though  exceedingly  advantageous, 
not  being  found  in  the  locality. 

The  arrangements  recommended  by  Mr,  F.  Crook  vary 
somewhat  in  detail  from  those  described,  but  are  equally 
practical  and  effective.  He  writes : — "  A.n  order  should 
be  given  to  the  ordinary  wattled-hurdle  makers  to  make  a 
given  quantity  of  six  feet  by  six  feet  open  hurdles,  with  well- 
pointed  ends,  twenty-four  of  these  hurdles,  when  placed  in 
position,  will  make  a  convenient-sized  run,  thirty-six  feet 
every  way ;  but  preparation  must  be  made  for  a  doorway,  and 
for  covering  over  the  whole  of  the  hurdles  insid§  the  run  with 
one  and  a  half  inch  wire  netting  round  the  sides,  and  .string 
netting  for  the  top.  For  the  size  run  specified  there  must  be 
four  posts,  made  Avith  four-waj'  T  piece  tops,  to  carry  the 
netting ;  the  posts  to  be  placed  equi-distant  from  each  other, 
to  properly  divide  off  the  interior  centre  space  ;  from  each 
upright  should  branch  out  movable  perches  about  eighteen 
inches  long,  at  different  heights  from  the  ground.  The  next 
and  most  important  point  is  the  arrangement  of  nesting- 
places.  At  the  most  retired  portion  of  the  run  faggots  should 
be  ])laced,  in  bundles  of  three  or  more,  arranged  conical 
fashion,  or  piled  as  soldiers  do  their  arms,  leaving  a  good 
space  open  at  the  bottom  ;  but  before  setting  the  faggots  in 
their  places,  tlie  earth  must  be  dug  out  six  inches  deep,  and 
filled  in  with  dry  loose  sand  or  fine  dry  moukl,  and  then  place 
the  faggots  over  the  sand.  There  should  be  as  many  of  these 
nesting-places  as  the  space  will  afford,  taking  care  that 
sutHcient  space  is  left  between  each  to  admit  of  easy  access  by 

G 


82  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

the  birds  and  their  keeper.'^  Some  writers  recommend  pens 
made  of  eight  hurdles,  each  six  feet  long,  giving  a  square  of 
twelve  feet  in  each  side,  and  having  an  interior  space  of  only 
144  superficial  feet;  but  these  pens  are  too  small  for  the 
health  or  comfort  of  the  birds,  for  they  are  far  more  apt  to  fall 
into  the  evil  habits  of  egg  eating  and  feather  plucking  than 
when  confined  in  larger  runs. 

With  regard  to  the  food  of  the  old  birds  in  the  pens,  the 
more  varied  it  is  the  better.  Good  sound  grain,  such  as  maize, 
barley,  buckwheat,  malt,  tail  wheat,  and  oats,  &c.,  may  all  be 
used.  But  maize  should  be  used  sparingly,  as  it  is  too  fatten- 
ing for  laying  pheasants  or  hens.  Mr.  Baily  recommends 
strongly  an  occasional  feed  of  boiled  potatoes,  of  which  the 
birds  are  exceedingly  fond.  He  writes  : — "  For  bringing 
pheasants  home,  or  for  keeping  them  there,  we  know  of 
nothing  equal  to  boiled  potatoes.  Let  them  be  boiled  with 
the  skins  whole,  and  in  that  state  taken  to  the  place  where 
they  are  to  be  used.  Before  they  are  put  down,  cut  out  of 
each  skin  a  piece  the  size  of  a  shilling,  showing  the  meal 
within.  Place  them  at  moderate  distances  from  each  other, 
and  the  birds  will  follow  them  anywhere.^' 

Rice  and  damaged  currants  and  raisins  are  very  well  for 
an  occasional  change,  but  should  be  sparingly  used.  A  few 
acorns  may  be  given  from  time  to  time,  but  their  use  in  excess 
is  apt  to  prove  injurious.  Mr.  J.  Fairfax  Muckley,  of 
Audnam,  writes  on  their  employment  as  follows  : — "  Three 
seasons  ago  I  laid  in  a  stock  of  acorns,  and  instructed  the 
feeder  to  give  the  pheasants  a  few  every  day.  They  preferred 
them  to  other  food.  In  one  week  I  had  ten  dead  birds. 
They  were  fat  and  healthy  in  every  respect,  with  the  exception 
of  inflammation  of  the  intestines.  My  conclusion  is,  that  if 
allowed  to  have  free  access  to  acorns  they  eat  more  than  they 
should,  and  consequently  many  die.  Keepers  frequently 
depend  too  much  upon  acorns." 

With  regard  to  the  employment  of  animal  food,  such  as 
horseflesh,  greaves,  &c.,  I  believe  its  use,  except  in  the  very 


FEEDING  IN  PENS.  8;J 


smallest  quantity,  to  be  exceedingly  injurious;  nor  do  I 
approve  of  the  spiced  condiments  so  strongly  recommended 
by  the  makers.  The  bodies  of  dead  domestic  animals  can, 
however,  be  most  advantageously  utilized  by  allowing  them 
to  become  thoroughly  fly-blown,  and  then  burying  them  under 
about  a  foot  of  soil  in  the  pens,  where  the  maggots  go  through 
the  regular  stages  of  growth,  after  which  they  work  their  way 
to  the  surface  in  order  to  effect  their  change  into  chrysalids. 
They  furnish  an  admirable  supply  of  insect  food  for  the  birds, 
and  give  them  constant  occupation  and  exercise  in  scratching 
in  the  ground.  Utilised  in  this  manner,  the  bodies  of  dead 
fowls,  or  any  small  domestic  animals,  are  perfectly  inoffensive, 
and  the  result  is  most  advantageous  to  the  birds. 

The  employment  of  crushed  bones,  as  a  substitute  for  the 
varied  animal  substances  the  pheasant  feeds  upon  when  in  a 
wild  state,  is  highly  advantageous.  Mr.  F.  Crook  writes  : — 
^'  We  have  seen  many  instances  of  game  being  perfectly  cured 
of  both  eating  their  eggs  and  plucking  each  other,  by  the 
continual  practice  of  giving  a  portion  of  well-smashed  bones 
every  day.  These  remarks  apply  more  especially  to  the  home 
pheasantries,  in  consequence  of  the  absence  of  the  natural 
shell  stuff  they  pick  up  when  at  liberty,  but  we  would 
recommend  some  to  be  thrown  about  the  feeding  grounds  of 
the  preserves,  as  the  highly  nutritious  nature  of  the  elements 
of  smashed  fresh  bones  conduces  remarkably  to  keep  the  birds 
together,  particularly  in  very  wet  seasons,  when  the  condition 
■of  the  land  renders  it  impossible  for  them  to  scratch  about  to 
the  same  extent."  Should  the  aviary  be  situated  on  soil  in 
which  small  stones  are  absent,  these  must  be  supplied ;  this 
is  conveniently  done  by  throwing  in  some  fresh  gravel  once 
or  twice  a  week;  but  it  has  been  found  by  many  pheasant 
rearers  that  small  granite  grit  is  far  superior  to  any  other 
material  that  can  be  supplied,  and  some  of  the  most  successful 
rearers  are  in  the  habit  of  having  truckloads  of  this  forwarded 
by  rail  from  the  granite  quarries,  solely  for  the  use  of  their 
pheasants. 

G  2 


84  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES 

There  is  one  point  on  which  almost  all  the  works  treating 
on  the  management  of  pheasants  are  lamentably  deficient^ 
namely,  enforcing  the  absolute  necessity  for  a  constant  supply 
of  fresh  green  vegetable  food.  The  tender  grasses  in  small 
pens  are  soon  eaten,  and  the  birds,  pining  for  fresh  vege- 
table diet,  become  irritable,  feverish,  and  take  to  plucking 
each  other's  feathers.  To  prevent  this,  cabbages,  turnip 
leaves — still  better,  waste  lettuces  from  the  garden,  when 
going  to  seed — should  be  supplied  as  fast  as  they  are  eaten ; 
the  smaller  the  pen  the  greater  the  necessity  for  this  supply. 
The  late  Dr.  Jeidon,  the  distinguished  author  of  "  The  Birds 
of  India,''  when  visiting  the  pheasantries  in  the  Zoological 
Grardens,  said,  in  his  emphatic  manner,  ''  You  are  not  giving 
these  birds  enough  vegetable  food.  Lettuce !  Lettuce  !  ! 
Lettuce  !  !  !  "  From  my  long  experience  in  breeding  galli- 
naceous birds  of  different  species,  I  can  fully  indorse  his 
recommendation . 

Should  these  cultivated  vegetables  be  not  readily  obtained, 
a  good  supply  of  freshly  cut  turves,  with  abundance  of  young 
grass  and  plenty  of  clover,  should  be  furnished  daily. 

Instead  of  placing  a  cock  and  three  to  five  hens  in  a  pen, 
as  recommended,  some  persons  advocate  putting  cut-winged 
hens  only  in  enclosures  open  at  the  top,  so  that  they  may  be 
visited  by  the  wild  males.  This  method  can  only  be  followed 
in  the  vicinity  of  well-stocked  coverts,  and  even  under  these 
conditions  it  is  not  always  successful,  the  eggs  frequently  not 
being  fertilised.  A  very  practical  correspondent  writes  as 
follows  :  "  It  is  sometimes  recommended  to  put  pheasant  hens 
into  small  enclosures  open  at  the  top,  so  that  the  wild  cocks 
might  get  to  them.  I  suppose  generally  that  plan  is 
successful,  but  in  my  own  case  it  has  failed  entirely.  I  had 
plenty  of  eggs,  but  no  chickens.  My  keeper  gathered  the 
eggs  regularly  and  carefully,  and  they  were  duly  set  under 
common  hens  ;  but  not  one  single  egg  came  off.  I  know  the 
wild  cocks  came  close  to  the  enclosure,  but  I  never  actually 
found  one  inside.     I  followed  Baily's  instructions  implicitly  ; 


OPEN  PENS   FOR   HENS.  85 

ray  own  impression  was,  I  must  say,  that  the  wild  cocks  had 
not  visited  the  hens/'  This  appears  an  exceptional  case,  and 
may  probably  be  due  to  some  local  conditions,  such  as  the 
small  size  of  the  enclosures. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  second  authority  states  :  "  On  an 
estate  with  which  I  am  well  acquainted,  the  whole  of  the 
young  birds,  some  400,  were  reared  from  eggs  produced  by 
hens  whose  mates  were  wild  birds.  The  pheasantry  was 
constructed  with  an  open  top,  and  the  wild  cock  birds 
regularly  visited  it.  The  tameuess  of  these  birds  was  remark- 
able, and  I  have  frequently  seen  six  or  eight  cock  birds 
walking  fearlessly  about  within  a  few  yards  of  me  while 
inspecting  the  birds.  As  an  instance  of  the  audacity  of  the 
wild  bird,  I  may  mention  that  a  few  years  ago  I  kept  five 
hen  pheasants  and  one  cock  pheasant  in  a  temporary  covered 
pheasantry,  the  lower  part  being  covered  up  to  the  height  of 
two  or  three  feet,  and  the  upper  part  being  constructed  of 
wire  stretched  on  poles.  I  noticed  shortly  after  the  birds 
had  been  put  in  that  the  wire  was  bulged  inwards  in  several 
places,  and  could  not  imagine  how  it  had  been  done.  Ou 
watching,  however,  I  found  a  wild  cock  pheasant  was  in  the 
habit  of  regularly  fighting  with  the  confined  male  bird  by 
flying  up  against  the  wire,  the  bird  inside  being  by  no  means 
loth  to  accept  the  challenge.  One  morning,  however,  the 
wild  bird  was  found  inside,  a  nail  having  given  way  in  one  of 
his  flights  against  the  wire  netting,  being  the  cause  of  his 
unexpected  capture.  When  discovered  he  had  nearly  killed 
the  imprisoned  cock  bird,  who  was  removed,  and  his 
adversary  substituted.  I  may  remark  that  those  who  have 
tried  breeding  from  wild  cocks  will  hardly,  I  fancy,  return  to 
the  old  system  of  keeping  the  cocks  in  confinement,  as  I  have 
found  that  the  birds  bred  from  wild  cocks  are  invariably 
stronger,  and  consequently  easier  to  rear  than  those  bred  in 
the  ordinary  way.'' 

There  is  no  absolute  necessity,  however,  for  having  recourse 
to  the  use  of  open  pens,  as  the  eggs  of  cut-winged  birds,  kept 


86  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


in  pleasantries  of  sufficient  size,  well  fed,  with  a  good  variety 
of  fresh  vegetable  food,  and  supplied  daily  with  clean  water, 
usually  hatch  quite  well,  although  the  chicks  may  not  be  as 
strong  as  those  reared  from  eggs  gathered  out  of  nests  in 
the  open  covert. 

The  construction  of  more  ornamental  and  permanent 
aviaries  has  now  to  be  spoken  of,  but  will  not  require  much 
consideration.  Fixed  aviaries  are  far  inferior,  as  regards  the 
health  of  the  birds,  to  those  that  are  movable,  therefore,  if 
possible,  they  should  always  be  constructed  so  as  to  admit  of 
their  being  shifted  on  to  new  ground  as  often  as  is 
convenient.  The  great  cause  of  the  comparatively  small 
success  that  attends  the  rearing  of  pheasants  in  our  Zoological 
Gardens  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  birds  are  kept  on  the 
same  spot  j^ear  after  year,  and  in  aviaries  that  are  not  one- 
tenth  of  the  size  required  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
birds. 

The  plan  of  an  ornamental  aviary  necessarily  depends 
on  the  desires  of  the  owner,  and  hardly  comes  within  the 
scope  of  this  work.  Mr.  Crook,  who  had  much  experience  in 
erecting  ornamental  aviaries,  writes  as  follows  respecting 
their  construction  :  "  A  neatly  constructed  lean-to  building 
may  be  employed,  facing  south  or  south-west;  ten  feet  wide 
or  long,  six  feet  deep  from  back  to  front,  and  six  feet  high  at 
front  of  the  highest  part  of  the  roof;  the  roof  should  project 
over  the  side  eighteen  inches  to  throw  off  the  wet.  The 
ground  must  be  dug  out  under  the  house,  and  dry  earth  or 
sand  be  filled  in.  Faggots  may  be  placed  here  as  before 
directed,  or  slanting  against  the  back  wall ;  every  precaution 
being  taken  to  induce  seclusion  for  the  nests.  For  those 
pheasantries  desired  for  strictly  ornamental  purposes  the  run 
may  be  made  to  any  size  agreeable  to  the  wishes  of  the 
owner  and  the  conveniences  of  the  ground  at  command;  or 
of  any  design  in  character  with  some  buildings  near  at  hand, 
'^riiese  ornamental  aviaries  may  be  carried  out  to  any  extent, 
but  cannot  be  made  to   move  about ;   therefore  the  greatest 


CATCHING   BIRDS  IN  PENS.  87 

attention  must  be  paid  to  any  minute  detail  in  construction  to 
ensure  the  health  and  contentedness  of  the  inmates.  When 
it  is  possible,  the  pens  or  runs  should  be  placed  where  there 
are  some  low-growing-  shrubs,  or  even  currant  or  gooseberry 
bushes,  as  they  afford  good  sheltering  places,  and  it  is  quite 
possible  that  the  hens  will  make  their  laying  nests  at  the 
roots  of  some  of  them,  which  will  be  a  benefit  to  the  birds." 

When  the  birds  are  left  full  winged  in  wire  aviaries,  and 
ai-e  wild,  it  Avill  be  found  very  advantageous  to  have  a  cord 
netting  stretched  some  inches  below  the  wire  top,  as 
otherwise  the  birds  are  very  apt  to  injure  themselves  severely 
when  they  dash  upwards  on  being  alarmed.  When  it  is 
required  to  handle  the  pheasants,  precautions  must  be 
employed  that  are  not  needful  in  the  case  of  fowls,  for  their 
extreme  timidity  causes  them  to  struggle  so  wildly  as  often  to 
denude  themselves  of  a  great  portion  of  their  plumage,  or 
even  to  break  or  dislocate  their  limbs.  They  are  best  caught 
by  the  aid  of  a  large  landing-net,  with  which  they  can  be 
secured  when  di-ivea  into  au  angle,  formed  by  setting  a  large 
hurdle  against  the  side  or  in  the  corner  of  the  pen.  Mr. 
Baily,  in  his  practical  little  treatise,  writes : — "  The  best 
way  of  catching  them  is  with  a  net  made  of  hazel  rod,  seven 
or  eight  feet  long,  forked  at  top.  The  fork  is  bent  round, 
or  rather  oval  shaped,  forming  a  hoop  long  enough  to  take 
in  the  bird  without  injuring  its  plumage.  It  is  then  covered 
with  netting  loose  enough  to  allow  of  its  being  placed  on 
the  bird  without  pressing  it  down  to  injure  it,  and  tight 
enough  to  prevent  it  from  turning  round  in  the  net  to  the 
detriment  of  its  plumage.  Where  many  bii'ds  have  to  be 
caught,  it  is  expedited  by  the  adoption  of  an  expedient  I  will 
describe ;  and  the  plan  is  good,  because  it  is  always  bad  for 
the  birds  to  be  driven  about,  which  they  must  be  before  they 
can  be  caught,  if  they  are  in  a  large  pen.  An  extra  hurdle 
should  be  made,  to  which  a  door  should  be  joined  on  hinges. 
It  should  be  three  feet  long.  This  should  be  placed  by  the 
side  of  one  of  those  forming  the  pen,  and  the    door    being 


88  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


open  the  bii'ds  should  be  gently  driven  into  it ;  then  the  door 
should  136  closed.  They  may  then  be  taken  with  the  hand  or 
net.  A  pheasant  should  be  caught  with  one  haud,  taking  at 
the  same  time  a  wing  and  thigh,  the  other  hand  should  be 
brought  into  play  directly  to  prevent  its  struggling,  and  it 
may  then  be  easily  and  safely  held  in  one,  taking  both 
thighs  and  the  tips  of  both  wings  in  the  hand  at  the  same 
time.  It  takes  two  persons  to  cut  the  wings.  They  should 
always  be  held  wath  their  heads  towards  the  person  holding 
them." 

Since  the  first  publication  of  this  work  the  plans  advocated 
in  it  have  been  very  generally  tested  and  discussed.  The 
remarks  of  one  of  the  writers  contain  so  many  useful  details 
that  I  am  glad  to  reproduce  the  more  practical  portion  of  his 
letters. 

''  The  advice  offered  with  reference  to  pheasant  pens  or 
aviaries  is  as  easy  and  inexpensive  of  adoption  as  it  is  good. 
By  carefully  following  the  excellent  instructions  fully  set 
forth  in  the  work  upon  pheasants  by  Mr.  Tegetmeier — to 
whom  the  thanks  of  all  lovers  of  the  bird  are  due — I 
succeeded  during  the  spring  of  1875  in  securing  from  thirty- 
five  hens  one  thousand  eggs.  Forty  birds  similarly  treated 
produced  the  following  season  1500;  last  year  forty-one  hens 
presented  us  1600;  while  this — so  far  as  it  has  yet  passed — 
offers  promise  of  a  still  better  return. 

"  The  fertility  of  our  eggs  is  most  satisfactory,  very  nearly 
all  proving  fruitful,  the  few  failing  to  hatch  containing 
chicks,  which  through  accident  merely  had  not  reached 
maturity.  Here,  again,  I  must  gratefully  acknowledge  the 
excellent  practical  instructions  proffered  by  Mr.  Tegetmeier 
relating  to  feeding  specially  and  management  generally. 
We  take  all  the  pheasants  with  which  our  pens  are  supplied 
from  early  hatchings,  care  being  observed  that  a  due 
admixture  of  wild  birds'  eggs  are  placed  in  these  first 
sittings,  thus  securing  a  thorough  change  of  blood. 

"  On  or  about  Sept,  1  the  young  birds  are  caught  up,  the 


SITUATION  OF  PENS.  89 


strongest  selected,  one  cock  to  five  hens,  and,  with  a  Aviug 
cut,  placed  in  their  future  home.  They  require  no  further 
attention  beyond  the  frequent  supplying  of  fresh  food  and 
water  twice  or  thrice  a  daj^,  reclipping  the  cut  wing 
excepted. 

"  Our  aviary  here  being  within  easy  flight  of  natuial 
coverts,  we  adopt  clipping  in  preference  to  pinioning,  since, 
when  the  egg  harvest  closes,  by  extracting  the  crippled 
feathers,  a  gradual  recovery  of  power  enables  the  birds  one 
by  one  to  effect  escape ;  the  exodus  thus  permitted  being 
generally  fully  accomplished  in  suflGicienfc  time  for  a  thorougli 
cleaning  and  preparation  of  the  aviary  in  readiness  for  its 
proposed  future  young  occupants.  One  of  the  great  secrets 
of  success  lies  in  variety  of  dry  and  liberality  of  green  food, 
together  with  a  generous  supply  of  frequently  changed 
water,  gravel  or  road  grit,  ashes,  chalk,  and  pounded  bones. 

"  I  now  propose  offering  a  few  suggestions  touching  more 
particularly  the  position,  construction,  and  general  manage- 
ment of  the  pheasant  pens  or  aviaries.  It  may,  however, 
be  premised  that  their  size  and  the  numbers  of  birds  pro- 
posed to  be  kept,  greatly  modifies  many  minor  matters  of 
detail,  with  reference  not  only  to  the  health,  but  also  to  the 
comfort  of  the  prisoners.  On  the  all-important  question  of  site 
— fair  contiguity  to  the  keeper's  cottage  should  be  observed ; 
for  if  placed  at  too  great  a  distance,  a  laxity,  in  winter 
more  especially,  of  that  solicitude  so  essential  to  their  welfare, 
is  likely  to  be  engendered ;  while  on  the  other  hand  close 
proximity,  above  all  should  there  be  many  children,  may,  with 
all  their  custodian's  care,  prove  the  cause  of  great  and 
irrevocable  mischief.  Total  isolation,  again,  in  the  recesses 
of  a  deep,  secluded  covert,  renders  the  birds  so  nervously 
sensitive  that  they  are  apt,  upon  the  slightest  unexpected 
excitement,  to  lose  all  self-control,  dash  about,  and  thus  risk 
eggs,  limbs,  and  even  life. 

"  Our  pens  are  placed  within  five  yards  of,  and  parallel 
to,  a   leading    carriage    drive,  a   thoroughfare  daily  in   use. 


90  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


From  earliest  youth,  therefore,  tbe  birds  are  more  or  less 
iuured  to  the  ever-changing  sights  and  sounds  incidental  to 
ordinary  traflBc.  Their  thus  seeing  and  hearing  all  going  on 
around  gradually  enables  them  to  acquire  such  an  amount  of 
courage,  that  curiosity  usurps  the  place  of  fright ;  the  cocks 
crowing  joyously  yet  defiantly,  while  the  hens  peer  inquisi- 
tively, yet  fearlessly,  through  the  lattice  of  their  harems. 
The  pens  should  be  sufficiently  shielded  by  trees,  so  as  to 
insure  in  very  sunny  weather  a  grateful  shade ;  nevertheless, 
too  much  leafy  shelter  is  apt  to  prove  provocative  of  damp 
and  cold.  They  should  also,  while  enjoying  a  southern 
aspect,  be  well  protected  from  the  east  wind.  Thus  placed 
the  birds  are  better  left  without  any  well  meant  but  fanciful 
attempts  at  further  increasing  their  comfort.  The  little 
niatters  above  enumerated  excepted,  the  more  they  are 
exposed  to  the  elements  and  permitted  to  rough  it,  the 
healthier  and  more  robust  they  will  become. 

"  As  in  our  present  case  here,  so  it  frequently  occurs 
that  insufficient  space  militates  against  that  annual  shifting 
of  aviaries  on  to  new  ground,  so  often  recommended,  and 
upon  which,  so  far  as  my  experience  serves  me,  where  the 
utmost  attention  to  scrupulous  cleanliness  has  been  observed, 
unnecessary  stress  is  laid. 

"After  the  laying  season,  when  our  birds  have  availed 
themselves  of  the  liberty  accorded  them,  the  pens  are  com- 
pletely denuded  of  their  contents.  The  ground  is  trenched 
spade  deep,  thickly  sown  with  unslacked  lime,  then  covered 
with  from  two  to  three  inches  of  fresh  clean  dry  loam,  and 
finally  freely  moistened  with  water  through  an  ordinary 
garden-rosed  watering-pot,  when  any  floating  lime  dust  is 
effectually  disposed  of,  and  the  young  birds  may  with  safety 
be  introduced. 

"  Our  aviary,  in  its  entirety,  measures  in  width  about 
27ft.,  and  length  108ft.,  there  being,  however,  three  transverse 
divisions,  four  square  compartments  are  thus  formed.  A 
small   trench,  one  foot    in  depth,  is   dug   around   the    whole 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PENS.  91 

sti-ucture.  A  piece  of  stout  Avire  netting,  one  foot  six  inches 
in  width,  placed  with  one  edge  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench, 
has  its  other  laced  with  wire  to  the  hurdles,  up  the  outside  of 
which  it  extends  nine  inches,  when  the  earth  is  filled  in,  and 
jammed.  The  inclosure  is  thus  rendered  fox,  cat,  and  rabbit- 
proof;  it  has  further  attached  to  it  '  gorse  bavins,'  thus 
securing  warmth  and  privacy.  The  whole  of  the  other 
portions  have  now  strained  over  them  stout  l-^-in.  mesh 
galvanised  wire  netting,  the  top  only  carefully  left  free,  for 
ingress  and  egress  of  wild  birds.  Inside  each  compartment, 
and  parallel  with  the  divisions,  is  now  placed  a  row  of  bush 
bavins,  one  against  the  other,  tightly  pressed  together, 
forming  an  inverted  letter  \.  On  the  apex  of  these  faggots 
the  birds  love  to  perch,  preen,  and  doze,  while  a  secure 
retreat  in  case  of  sudden  fright  is  offered  by  the  little  tunnel 
left  at  the  base.  A  few  faggots  may  also  for  a  similar 
purpose  be  placed  leaning  against  the  sides  and  corners  of 
the  inclosure,  those  angles  where  the  doors  are  hung  excepted. 

"  We  have  also  two  smaller  pens,  alike  in  all  respects,  and 
attached  to  those  already  described,  but  in  measurement  only 
I  Oft.  by  7ft.  These  are  used  for  the  temporary  confinement 
of  any  quarrelsome,  egg-destroying,  or  otherwise  refractory 
bird,  who  can  thus,  until  its  wing  is  sufficiently  strong  for 
flight,  remain.  One  of  the  hurdles  dividing  these  small  pens 
from  their  neighbours — as,  indeed,  in  each  of  the  interior 
divisions — should  be  easily  removable  to  the  end,  that  the 
birds  can  at  pleasure  be  driven  right  through  into  the  smaller 
pens  for  the  purpose  of  capture,  wing-clipping,  &c. 

"The  introduction  and  placing  about  occasionally  of 
freshly-cut  fir  tree  branches  is  judicious.  With  reference  to 
aliment,  the  greater  the  variety  offered  the  better ;  and  for  a 
thoroughly  trustworthy  detail  upon  this  vital  point,  again  I 
gratefully  add,  vide  '  Tegetmeier.'  Regularity  in  the  hours  of 
feeding,  however,  is  as  essential  as  is  the  quality  of  food 
administered — three  times  diurnally,  any  unfinished  debris  of 
the  previous  meal  having  first  been  carefully  removed,  should 


^2  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

the  repasts  be  neatly  and  delicately  served,  not  forgetting 
that,  while  all  required  is  offered  with  no  niggard  hand,  over- 
lavish  generosity,  only  too  often  the  mere  promptings  of 
laziness,  ought  most  carefully  to  be  avoided. 

"  Powerless  are  the  prisoners  to  escape  those  fatal  mias- 
matic vapours  speedily  generated  by  decaying  vegetable  and 
animal  matter,  which,  when  permitted  to  daily  be  trampled 
into  the  floors  of  the  dwelling,  are  ever  within  a  few  inches, 
be  it  recollected,  of  their  respirator}^  organs.  In  connection 
with  this  matter  also,  it  is  wise  to  have  duplicate  shallow 
circular  galvanised  iron  water  pans  of  about  eighteen  inches 
in  diameter.  They  are  light,  and  consequently  more  likely  to 
undergo  that  thorough  and  frequent  cleansing  so  necessary." 

Coverts  may  be  stocked  either  with  wild  birds  or  with  those 
hatched  in  pens  that  have  never  been  at  liberty.  Wild  birds 
caught  at  the  commencement  of  the  year,  not  later  than  the 
middle  of  January,  are  healthier  and  more  prolific  than  young 
birds  that  hav^e  never  been  allowed  to  fly.  When  caught, 
they  should  at  once  be  put  into  large  pens  on  fresh  ground, 
having  had  the  flight  feathers  of  one  wing  cut  off,  when,  if 
they  are  properly  fed,  they  will  become  fairly  tame  before  the 


breeding  season.  However  tame  they  may  become  they 
should  not  be  kept  more  than  one,  or  at  the  most  two  seasons, 
when  their  wings  should  be  allowed  to  grow  and  other  birds 
captured  to  supply  their  place.  Other  modes  are  adopted  for 
capturing  the  wild  birds.  The  above  very  simple  form  of 
trap  is  described  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Harting,  which  is  perfectly 
efficacious  for  the  purpose  required.     It  is  merely  a  modifica- 


TRAPPING  BIRDS  FOR  PENS.  93. 

tiou  of  the  old-fasliioned  sieve  trap,  so  arranged  as  to  be  self- 
acting,  or,  in  other  words,  to  require  no  watching.  The 
accompanying  sketch  will  make  all  clear.  A  is  a  hoop  off  a 
large  cask,  covered  with  slack  netting.  At  the  point  where 
it  touches  the  ground  a  peg  is  driven  in,  to  which  the  hoop  is 
tied,  or,  as  it  were,  hinged.  Another  short  peg  is  driven  in 
at  D,  on  the  top  of  which  rests  a  cross-piece  C,  above  which 
again  comes  the  long  upright  which  supports  the  hoop.  From 
each  end  of  the  cross-piece  C,  a  piece  of  twine  is  carried  to 
D,  the  twine  being  only  a  very  little  way  off  the  ground.  This 
acts  as  a  trigger,  and  the  moment  a  bird  feeding  under  the 
hoop  comes  in  contact  with  the  twine,  the  cross-piece  C  is 
jerked  away,  and  the  trap  falls. 

Some  breeders  prefer  large  baskets  six  feet  square  by  one 
foot  deep,  made  of  strong  willow  covered  with  canvas,  to  the 
sieve.  This  is  propped  up  securely,  and  the  pheasants  feed 
under  it  for  several  days  before  they  are  caught.  It  is  then 
raised  by  a  single  stick,  from  which  a  long  wire  or  cord 
proceeds  to  a  tree  or  shelter  many  yards  distant.  This  is  for 
the  purpose  of  pulling  away  the  stick  and  catching  the  birds 
that  are  feeding  underneath  it.  Open  crates  are  sometimes 
recommended  to  be  used  in  the  same  way,  but  they  are  not 
advantageous,  as  the  birds  injure  themselves  in  the  endeavour 
to  escape. 

Another  plan  of  a  somewhat  similar  character,  which  has 
]n'oved  most  successful  in  use,  is  the  catcher  represented 
on  the  next  page.  It  is  made  of  deal,  to  be  as  light  as 
possible,  and  can  be  painted  brown.  The  size  at  the  bottom 
should  be  about  2ft.  4in.  square,  and  at  the  top  about  1ft. 
square,  covered  with  a  lid  (Fig.  2),  to  enable  the  bird  to 
be  removed.  To  set  it,  as  shewn  in  the  sketch,  a  bender  is 
placed  round  from  A  to  B,  care  being  taken  that  it  does  not 
quite  reach  the  front.  Two  sticks,  C  and  D,  are  used,  a 
notch  should  be  cut  in  C  about  6in.  from  the  bottom,  to 
admit  the  top  of  stick  D ;  the  lower  end  of  C  resting 
against    the    bender ;    and  when    the    catcher    is    placed    on 


94  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


the  top  of  stick  C  tlie  whole  is  held  up  by  D,  the  bender 
being  about  3in.  from  the  ground.  When  the  bird  steps 
on  the  bender  the  trap  falls  and  secures  it.  If  the 
size  described  is  used,  the  birds  will  hardly  ever  damage 
themselves.  Where  pheasants  are  to  be  caught,  the  catcher 
may  be  placed  on  the  ground  some  time  before  using,  propped 
up  with  one  stick  only,  and  some  white  peas  strewn  under- 


Fic.i. 


neath,  and  nowhere  else.  With  this  trap  it  is  no  trouble  to 
catch  nearly  every  bird  in  the  covert,  however  mild  the  season. 
The  best  baskets  for  the  transport  of  pheasants  for  short 
distances  are  those  made  of  close  brown  wicker;  in  shape 
they  should  resemble  a  basin  turned  upside  down,  the  part 
corresponding  to  the  foot  of  the  basin  being  uppermost,  and 
forming  the  only  opening  into  the  basket.  Before  being 
used  this  opening  should  be  covered  with  canvas,  which  is  to 
be  closely  stitched  down  half  way  round,  previously  to  the 
birds  being  placed  inside,  and  firmly  secured  aftenvards.  In 
these  baskets  they  are  free  from  observation  and  molestation 
when  travelling  by  rail  or  carrier,  and  from  the  baskets  being 
close  and  circular  they  are  much  less  liable  to  injure  their 
plumage  than  when  sent  in  more  open  and  angular  packages. 
In  forwarding  live  birds  care  should  always  be  taken  to  attach 
a  stout  and  somewhat  loose  cord  across  the  top  of  the  basket, 
in  order  to  serve  as  a  convenient  handle  by  which  it  can  be 
lifted  with  one  hand,  otherwise,  in  the  hurry  of  transit,  the 
raihvay  porters,  who  cannot  be  expected  to  use  both  hands  in 


BASKETS  FOB  TRANSPORT. 


95 


lifting  every  package,  are  certain  to  catch  it  up  suddenly  by 
one  side,  and  the  birds  are  often  severely  injured  by  being 
suddenly  and  violently  thrown  against  the  opposite  one. 

The  consideration  of  the  best  means  of  arranging  for  the 
transport  of  birds  over  long  distances  and  by  shipboard  is 
given  at  length  in  the  Appendix. 

The  vignette  represents  the  head  of  a  hen  pheasant  with 
a  singular  beak,  the  upper  mandible  having  passed  between 
the  rami  of  the  lower.  The  bird  was  found  dead  from 
starvation.  It  is  evident  that  the  deformity  was  caused 
by  the  bird  flying  against  a  branch,  the  blow  bending  the 
upper  mandible  and  causing  it  to  pass  through  the  lower. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


MANAGEMENT   OF   PHEASANTS  IN   CONFINEMENT 
(CONTINUED). 


LAYING    AND    HATCHING. 


,^5,.^ 


^W  F  tlie  laying  in  aviaries  tliei-e  is  but  little  to  be  said. 
sJIfi  The  birds  usually  drop  their  eggs  about  at  random, 
p^'"  consequently  they  should  be  looked  after,  and 
'*  collected    frequently,    so    as   to    prevent    as   far  as 

possible  their  being  broken,  which  is  almost  certain  to 
establish  the  destructive  habit  of  egg  eating.  Sometimes, 
however,  hen  pheasants  will  take  to  concealed  nests,  and 
instances  are  not  unknown  of  their  sitting  and  hatching 
successfully  in  confinement.  A  correspondent  states  :  "  In 
1852  I  had  a  cock  and  three  hens  in  a  small  place  (I  will  not 
dignify  it  by  the  name  of  an  aviary,  for  it  is  open  at  the  top, 
and  the  birds  are  pinioned  or  have  their  wings  cut) ;  one  of 
the  hens  made  a  nest,  and  sat  and  hatched  five  young  ones. 
These,  unfortunately,  the  other  pheasants  killed  directly  they 
came  from  under  the  mother.  In  1853,  the  same  hen  sat 
again  on  eleven  eggs,  and  hatched  seven,  when  I  let  her  out 
into  my  small  garden,  and  a  better  mother  I  never  saw ;  she 
would  allow  no  strangers  to  come  near  her  without  flying  at 
them.  At  the  end  of  seven  weeks  the  gapes  killed  them  all. 
It  was  a  curious  sight  to  see  the  old  pheasant  make  her  nest 
of  ivy-leaves  and  hay,  the  former  of  which  she  always  used  to 
cover  lier  eggs  with  when  she    left   her    nest,    doing  so    by 


PREVENTION  OF  EGG  EATING.  97 

standing  on  the  edge,  and  throwing  the  leaves  over  her  back. 
The  same  hen  sat  again  in  1854." 

Mr.  G.  F.  Woodrow  (Keeper  to  the  Earl  of  Denbigh, 
Newnham  Paddox,  Lutterworth),  writing  on  the  subject, 
stated  :  "  I  have  half  an  acre  of  young  plantation  inclosed  for 
a  pheasantrj  and  open  at  the  top,  so  that  the  wild  cock 
birds  can  go  in  and  out.  I  had  over  thirty  hen  pheasants 
and  three  cocks,  all  with  their  wings  cut.  About  ten  weeks 
ago  a  hen  pheasant  wanted  to  sit  on  the  last  egg  that  she 
laid ;  I  took  it  from  her,  and  disturbed  her  every  day,  but  she 
persisted  in  sitting  without  an  egg  for  more  than  a  Aveek ;  at  last 
1  took  pity  on  her.  One  evening  when  I  had  gathered  the  eggs 
I  put  sixteen  under  her,  and  she  sat  and  hatched  thirteen  birds. 
She  allowed  me  to  lift  her  off  the  nest,  and  I  took  her  and  her 
young  and  put  them  in  a  hen  coop,  and  she  has  reared  them 
well,  aud,  quite  as  tame  as  any  of  my  hens  that  I  have 
rearing  pheasants,  allows  me  to  drag  the  coop  on  to  fresh 
ground,  and  never  flutters.  As  soon  as  I  throw  the  food  in 
front  of  the  coop  she  commences  calling  her  young.  They 
are  now  about  the  size  of  landrails,  and  the  whole  of  them 
living." 

To  prevent  the  fatal  habit  of  eating  the  egg^,  no  care 
should  be  spared,  as  it  is  entirely  subversive  of  any  hope  of 
success  in  rearing.  As  before  stated,  it  may  be  in  great  part 
prevented  by  the  frequent  collection  of  the  eggs.  Mr.  F. 
Crook  truly  remarks  :  "  The  male  bird  in  confinement 
frequently  takes  to  pecking  the  eggii,  at  first  only  for  want  of 
something  ttiore  natural  to  do.  Having  no  space,  no  fields 
and  copses  to  roam  about  and  amuse  himself  in,  he  pecks  and 
pushes  the  egg  about.  At  last  it  gets  chipped,  and  he  tastes 
of  its  contents,  and  he  will  not  then  leave  it  until  consumed, 
and  the  abominable  habit  is  confirmed  in  him.  As  it  is 
usually  the  male  bird  that  commits  these  vexing  faults,  a 
loose  hurdle  forming  a  corner  pen,  into  which  he  can  be 
driven,  will  be  found  most  useful,  as  he  should  onlv  be 
allowed  amongst  the  hens  after  they  have  laid  their  eggs  for 


98  FBEASANTS  FOB  C(n'ERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


the  day;  and  all  having  been  removed,  a  wooden  egg  may  be 
exchanged  for  the  real  one,  which  will  soon  tire  him  out ;  and 
the  bad  habit  may  be  cured,  and  no  loss  of  time  occur  in  the 
breeding  season.  But  whether  the  birds  are  troublesome  or 
not  in  this  respect,  the  attendants  must  make  periodical  visits 
to  the  breeding  pens  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  the  eggs, 
as  they  should  never  be  allowed  to  remain  about." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  bad  management  and  impropei- 
feeding  tend  to  promote  this  serious  evil.  The  frequent 
disturbance  of  the  birds  by  the  inquisitiveness  of  visitors,  bad 
and  improper  stimulating  food,  without  a  sufficiency  of  green 
vegetable  diet,  want  of  cleanliness  in  the  pen,  an  insufficient 
or  dirty  supply  of  water,  and  want  of  grit  to  assist  digestion, 
all  aid  in  developing  the  habit.  Mr.  J.  F.  Dougall,  in  his 
"  Shooting  Simplitied,"  suggests  the  following  mode  of 
preventing  the  practice  when  once  established  :  "  In 
pheasantries  means  should  be  taken  to  prevent  the  eggs 
being  destroyed  by  the  male  bird ;  and  as  it  is  impossible  to 
keep  continual  watch,  the  hen  should  be  induced  to  seek  a 
dark  secluded  corner  by  forming  for  her  an  artificial  nest 
covered  thinly  with  straw.  Under  this  straw  have  a  net  of 
mesh  exactly  wide  enough  to  allow  the  egg  to  drop  through 
into  a  box  below,  filled  with  soft  seeds  or  shellings,  leaving 
only  a  few  inches  between  ;  the  cock  bird  cannot  then  reach 
the  egg,  which  falls  uninjured  on  the  soft  seeds  below,  and  is 
safely  removed." 

Mr.  Leno  writes :  "I  have  invariably  found  the  cocks  to 
be  the  culprits.  As  soon  as  a  pecked  egg  is  found,  the  cock 
bird  should  be  removed,  and  the  hens  left  by  themselves  for  a 
few  days,  to  see  whether  he  is  or  is  not  the  guilty  one  ; 
before  putting  in  another  cock  with  the  hens,  fill  up  the 
shell  of  the  broken  egg  with  soft  soap,  which  the  fresh  bird 
may  try  his  hand  at.  In  case  the  first  cock  has  been  at 
mischief  long  enough  to  teach  the  hens,  there  is  no  saving 
the  eggs,  unless  they  are  watched  and  the  eggs  picked  up 
immediately  they  are  laid,  or  by  partitioning  part  of  the  pen 


PREVENTION  OF  EGG  EATING.  99 

off,  and  straining  some  galvanised  wire  netting  across  the 
inclosure  six  inches  off  the  ground,  the  mesh  being  of  a 
sufficient  size  to  allow  the  eggs  to  drop  through  as  soon  as 
laid  on  to  some  moss  or  chaff ;  the  hens  should  be  driven  into 
the  wired  inclosure  early  in  the  morning,  and  let  out  again 
late  in  the  evening — food  and  water,  of  course,  must  be 
placed  in  a  small  trough  for  them." 

Mr.  Fairfax  Muckley,  of  Audnam,  Stourbridge,  says : 
^'  My  pheasantries  are  large,  and  of  considerable  extent.  My 
method  is  this  :  In  the  beginning  of  April  I  have  a  bundle  of 
larch  bushes  placed  on  each  corner  of  the  pheasantries, 
leaving  only  room  behind  for  one  bird,  and  a  little  hole  in 
the  bushes  for  the  hens  to  creep  into  ;  then  make  a  place  on 
the  ground  behind  the  bushes  and  put  two  or  three  sham 
ground  glass  eggs,  and  also  place  a  few  anywhere  about  the 
pheasantries ;  they  then  become  accustomed  to  see  these  sham 
eggs  and  try  to  break  them,  but  finding  they  cannot  do  so, 
they  leave  the  real  ones  alone.  The  hens  are  also  induced  to 
go  into  the  corners  of  the  pheasantries  and  lay  to  the  sham 
eggs.  The  great  thing  is  to  have  these  in  every  way  like 
real  ones.  Those  generally  used  are  useless,  being  either  too 
heavy  or  too  light,  and  wrong  in  appearance.  I  may  add 
that  the  oftener  the  eggs  are  collected  the  better;  but  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  disturb  the  hens  when  behind  the 
bushes.  I  had  two  very  fine  cock  birds  sent  me;  they  ate 
the  eggs  in  the  beginning,  but  by  continually  having 
perfectly-made  sham  eggs  before  them  they  are  quite  cured, 
and  over  one  hundred  eggs  have  been  collected  out  of  their 
pens.  It  is  a  good  plan,  when  a  hen  has  just  laid,  to  take  the 
egg  away  and  put  a  sham  one  in  the  place,  particularly  when 
you  know  they  eat  them.  At  the  end  of  the  season  have 
the  sham  eggs  collected  for  other  seasons." 

The  glass  eggs  manufactured  by  Mr.  Muckley  are  most 
efiicacious  in  preventing  this  destructive  habit. 

In  consequence  of  the  removal  of  the  eggs  as  soon  as 
deposited,  and  the  birds  not  sitting,  the  number  laid  by  the 


100        PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


hens  in  confinement  is  greatly  in  excess  of  that  produced  by 
them  in  a  wild  state,  sometimes  as  many  as  twenty-five  or 
thirty  being  laid  by  one  hen.  This  extreme  prolificacy 
toads  to  exhaust  the  birds,  and  it  will  be  found  most 
advantageous  to  turn  them  out  when  they  have  finished 
laying,  and  to  supply  their  places  by  3'oung  poults. 

It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  a  greater  number  of  eggs 
are  required  for  hatching  under  farmyard  hens  than  are  pro- 
duced by  the  birds  in  the  pheasau tries ;  in  such  cases  the 
surplus  eggs  in  the  nests  of  the  wild  birds  may  be  ad- 
vantageously collected.  This,  however,  may  be  done  in  a 
right  or  a  wrong  way.  They  should  be  taken  before  the  hen 
pheasant  begins  to  sit ;  and  if  removed  one  at  a  time  every 
other  day  as  the  bird  is  laying,  they  are  certain  not  to  have 
been  partly  hatched. 

Richard  Jeffries,  in  a  most  graphic  article  on  the  pleasures 
of  pheasant  rearing,  describing  the  gathering  of  the  eggs, 
truly  says  :  "  Unfortunately  nothing  is  more  easy  to  find  than 
a  pheasant's  nest.  Like  a  cockney  looking  for  a  home  in  the 
suburbs^  the  hen  pheasant  seems  to  prefer  a  lively  situation 
near  a  thoroughfare,  with  a  good  view  of  anything  that  may 
be  going  on.  It  needs  no  great  practice  to  catch  the  glance 
of  the  bright  beady  eye  among  the  roots  of  the  roadside 
hedgerow,  or  to  distinguish  the  grey  mottled  plumage  among 
the  grass  and  nettles  in  the  ditch  below.  Look  under  that 
heap  of  fallen  boughs,  and  as  likely  as  not  there  are  the 
green-grey  eggs  dropped  under  the  very  outermost,  where 
there  is  scarcely  a  pr(itence  at  cover,  although,  had  she  taken 
the  trouble  to  force  her  way  one  half-yard  further,  the  hen 
might  have  laid  them  safe  out  of  sight  of  all  but  ground 
vermin.  So  by  dint  of  poking  about  among  the  grass  and 
the  branches  and  brambles,  by  looking  under  furze  bushes 
and  in  hedgerows,  and  in  the  cavities  formed  at  the  foot  of 
tree  trunks,  you  may  come  upon  a  good  number  of  nests  in 
the  afternoon,  should  birds  be  tolerably  plentiful.  Very 
likely  indeed  you  have  found  too  many  eggs  to  be  accommo- 


JEFFRIES  ON  PHEASANT  BEARING.  iUl 


dated  under  the  sitting  hens  at  yom*  disposal.  Some  must  be 
left,  while  other  brood  mothers  are  sought.  Whether  on 
your  second  visit  you  find  those  you  left,  as  you  left  them, 
depends  greatly  upon  circumstances.  If  you  have  a  profusion 
of  rooks  about  your  place,  the  chances  are  much  against  it. 
For  those  omnivorous  gluttons  have  as  decided  a  partiality 
for  pheasant  eggs  as  any  ball-going  gourmand  for  those  of 
the  plover.  They  have  overrun  your  woods.  They  sit  swing- 
ing and  cawing  on  each  projecting  bough  that  commands  a 
prospect.  They  walk  the  slopes  of  your  fields,  one  eye  closely 
scanning  the  soil  for  insects,  the  other  sweeping  all  the  points 
of  the  compass.  Nothing  escapes  their  observation.  When 
they  see  you  out  for  an  object  they  follow  you  and  mark  each 
movement.  We  have  very  little  doubt  they  speedily  learn  to 
suspect  your  intention,  and  when  they  see  you  stoop  in  a 
likely  spot,  they  fly  down  to  institute  an  investigation  when- 
ever your  back  is  turned.  In  no  other  way  can  we  possibly 
account  for  the  wholesale  wreck  of  eggs  that  had  been  spared 
and  sat  upon  until  you  visited  them  in  your  walk.  And  if  you 
doubt  who  are  the  culprits,  try  the  ordeal  by  taste,  and  strych- 
nine a  nestful  of  eggs.  You  will  find  the  bodies  of  the 
black  delinquents  strewed  round  the  fragments  of  the 
shells. 

"  Nothing  can  be  prettier  than  the  broods  of  young 
pheasants  as  they  are  hatched  off,  tame  as  chickens — although 
more  graceful  and  active — running  from  the  shell,  and  be- 
ginning forthwith  to  peck  about  for  a  living.  Unfortunately 
there  are  other  members  of  the  animated  creation  who  watch 
their  growth  and  their  movements  with  even  keener  and  more 
immediate  interest  than  yourself.  For  some  four  months  to 
come  you  mean  neither  to  shoot  nor  eat  your  confiding 
proteges ;  but  they  are  surrounded  by  sharp-set  caruivora 
who  propose  themselves  that  pleasure  on  the  earliest  possible 
opportunity.  We  do  not  assert  that  those  nuisances  the 
rooks  are  dangerous  in  this  stage  of  the  pheasant  breeding, 
although  we  should  deem  it  imprudent  to  trust  them  too  far. 


102         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


And  there  a  weasel  is  watching^  popping  his  head  at  intervals 
out  of  different  holes  in  the  neighbouring  bank,  undeterred 
by  the  fate  of  several  of  his  family,  who  have  ali*eady  been 
trapped  there  and  gibbeted.  But  more  dangerous  than  hawk 
or  weasel  are  the  jackdaws.  For,  as  these  vociferous  birds 
bear  comparatively  respectable  characters,  they  are  more 
likely  to  be  indulged  with  a  licence  they  abuse.  We  kuo"\v 
them  to  be  havards  :  we  cannot  deny  the  family  tendency  to 
kleptomania.  But  we  are  in  the  way  of  believing  chatteriug  to 
be  the  sign  of  a  frank,  shallow  nature,  and  we  are  apt  to 
condone  the  thefts  that  are  perpetrated  with  no  view  to 
profit.  In  reality,  the  jackdaw  is  a  deep  hypocrite — a  robber 
and  a  bloody-beaked  murderer.  He  chatters  his  way  from, 
branch  to  branch  above  the  coops  with  the  most  unconcerned 
air  in  the  world — just  as  a  human  thief  walks,  whistling, 
with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  towards  the  prey  he  means  to 
make  a  snatch  at.  Then,  when  he  sees  himself  unnoticed, 
the  jackdaw  stills  his  chatter  and  makes  his  stealthy  swoop  ; 
and  in  this  way,  watching  while  your  watcher^s  back  is 
turned,  he  massacres  a  whole  family  of  your  innocents,  and 
the  hawks  and  weasels  get  the  credit  of  the  crime.  But, 
after  all,  a  gun  kept  upon  the  spot  generally  inspires  a 
salutary  dread. 

"  Many  of  your  young  birds  survive  the  perils  of  their 
cheeperhood ;  then  the  long  grass  in  the  neighbouring  bits 
of  covert  becomes  alive  with  them,  and  once  in  that  stage 
they  are  comparatively  safe.  Thenceforward  till  the  autumn, 
they  feed  and  thrive,  strengthen  and  fatten.  And,  sport,  sale,, 
and  the  autumn  game  course  out  of  the  question,  what  can  be 
pleasanter  or  prettier  in  the  way  of  sounds  or  sights  than 
the  young  birds  learning  to  crow  in  your  coverts  as  you 
saunter  out  before  breakfast,  or  scattered  about  your  lawn  as 
you  dine,  with  open  windows,  of  a  summer  evening  ?  " 

The  most  successful  mode  of  rearing  pheasants  is  to  adopt,, 
in  those  situations  where  the  conditions  are  favourable,  what 
may   be   termed   the  more  natural  system,  such  as  has  been 


PHEASANT  BEARING  AT  ELSENHAM.  103 

followed  most  successfully  for  some  twenty  years  on  the 
estate  of  Sir  Walter  Gilbey. 

The  details  of  the  management  will  shoAv  that  the  success 
is  simply  owing  to  the  pheasants  being  reared  under  natural, 
sound  sanitary  conditions.  The  number  raised  annually 
varies  between  3500  and  4000.  The  largest  covert  on  the 
estate  is  closely  wooded  on  heavy,  damp,  unfavourable  land. 
It  is  eighty-two  acres  in  extent.  Then  there  are  two  others, 
one  of  fifty-six  acres  and  another  of  thirty-two  acres,  and  in 
addition  there  are  some  three  or  four  hundi-ed  birds  dispersed 
on  other  parts  of  the  estate.  No  birds  whatever  are  penned 
up.  They  are  all  allowed  to  lay  in  the  coverts,  and  the  eggs 
are  collected  and  hatched  iTJider  farmyard  hens.  It  is  easy  to 
appreciate  the  strong  vitality  of  the  eggs,  and  the  strength  of 
the  chickens  that  they  produce,  when  they  are  collected  from 
well  fed  birds  flying  under  natural  conditions  in  the  open. 

In  order  that  an  abundance  of  eggs  should  be  produced, 
the  wild  pheasants  are  fed  freely  for  about  six  weeks  before 
they  begin  to  lay.  They  have  barley  meal  mixed  with  a 
certain  proportion  of  Spratt^s  crissel  for  their  first  morning 
meal,  and  afterwards  soaked  wheat  and  oats.  Of  the  latter 
they  are  particularly  fond.  As  fattening  food  is  not  advan- 
tageous for  laying  birds,  no  maize  is  used.  The  eggs  are 
collected  daily,  and  a  sharp  look  out  is  kept  for  the  rooks, 
which  one  season  destroyed  more  than  500  eggs,  in  addition 
to  nearly  fifty  eggs  from  the  hen  turkey  birds,  which  are 
allowed  to  nest  out  and  rear  tbeir  young  wbile  in  the  coverts, 
the  turkeys  and  pheasants  agreeing  perfectly  well  together. 
When  the  young  pheasants  are  hatched  the  coops  under 
which  they  are  placed  are  not  crowded  together,  as  is  too 
commonly  the  custom,  but  placed  at  long  distances  apart, 
never  nearer  than  thirty  yards,  consequently  the  young 
pheasants  have  free  and  untainted  range,  and  find  insects 
and  food  for  themselves.  For  the  first  nine  or  ten  days  they 
are  fed  three  times  a  day,  and  this  is  done  so  judiciously  that 
no  stale  food   is  left   from   one   meal  to  another.     The  food 


104        PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

consists  of  barley  meal  of  the  best  quality,  boiled  eggs  rubbed 
through  a  coarse  sieve ;  white  biscuit  meal  is  also  used,  and 
some  crissel  is  rubbed  up  with  it. 

There  are  no  bottoms  to  the  coops,  which  are  always 
moved  on  to  fresh  ground  twice  a  day,  morning  and  night, 
so  that  the  young  birds  never  rest  on  foul  ground.  The 
fronts  are  not  closely  shut  up,  as  is  too  often  the  case,  but  a 
board  is  placed  against  them,  and  they  are  painted  white,  a 
colour  which,  being-  strange,  is  not  appreciated  by  foxes. 

The  covert  annually  yields  about  2000  head  of  game, 
which  must  be  owing  to  the  good  management,  inasmuch  as 
the  soil  is  heavy,  and  in  wet  Aveather  particularly  damp.  No 
quack  remedies  are  used  in  the  feeding  of  these  birds,  which 
are  amply  supplied  with  grit,  the  particular  variety  employed 
being  fine  granite  gtit.  This  is  most  greedily  eaten  by  the 
birds,  and  is  purchased  by  the  truck  load.  Granite  contains, 
in  addition  to  the  extremely  hard  quartz,  which  assists  in  the 
grinding  of  the  food  in  the  gizzard,  other  minerals  essential 
to  healthy  growth,  such  as  lime,  potash,  iron,  &c.,  in  the  form 
of  felspar  and  mica.  There  is  another  point  to  which  I  may 
call  attention.  At  the  end  of  the  season  the  head  keeper 
carefully  goes  round  the  coverts,  and  any  bird  that  he  can 
detect  that  shows  the  slightest  sign  of  having  been  wounded, 
or  that  is  not  in  the  pink  of  condition,  is  at  once  despatched, 
so  as  to  leave  nothing  but  healthy  and  vigorous  birds  to  breed 
from. 

Now,  it  may  be  asked,  to  what  is  the  long  continued 
success  of  the  pheasants  on  this  estate  due.  There  can  be  but 
one  answer.  To  the  good  sanitary  arrangements,  to  the 
rational  method  of  feeding  and  management  adopted  by  an 
unusually  intelligent  keeper.  So  far  from  the  system  being 
expensive  it  is  exceedingly  economical,  and  the  result  is  as 
satisfactory  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive,  for  there  are  more 
strong,  vigorous,  and  healthy  birds  produced  on  this  estate  in 
proportion  to  the  acreage  than  in  any  othei-  ttat  I  am 
acquainted   Avith.      On  several  of  the  estates  not  far  distant, 


SELECTING  HENS  FOB  HATCHING.  105 

many  of  which  possess  greater  advantages  than  Elseuhain, 
disease  has  been  in  many  cases  most  prevalent,  and,  of  course, 
there  is  always  the  danger  of  birds  suffering-  from  the  typhoid 
epidemic  coming  into  the  coverts,  and  tainting  the  soil  by 
their  excrement. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  great  care  is  taken  in 
selecting  broody  hens.  No  fowls  with  the  infectious  skin 
disease  known  as  "favus''  are  ever  chosen,  and  hens  with 
scurfy  legs,  which  invariably  infect  the  young  pheasants,  are 
rejected.  The  result  of  the  sanitary  precautions  dictated  by 
common  sense  is  that,  though  a  very  large  number  of  birds  are 
reared  on  the  estate,  infectious  enteritis  has  never  appeared 
amongst  them,  and  the  birds,  bred  naturally,  are  strong, 
hardy,  and  vigorous. 

This  method  may  be  contrasted  with  that  pursued  by 
another  well-known  breeder,  who  proceeds  on  a  very  different 
system.  I  allude  to  that  which  has  been  recommended  by 
Mr.  Christopher  W.  Wilson,  of  Rigmadeu  Park,  Westmoreland, 
of  keeping  laying  pheasants  in  small  movable  pens,  which  can 
be  easily  shifted  so  as  to  be  over  fresh  ground.  These  pens 
are  made  with  close  sides  of  thin  lin.  boards,  the  exact 
dimensions  being  9ft.  square  and  3ft.  high,  and  covered  at 
the  top  with  2|in.  string  netting.  Into  each  is  placed  a  cock 
pheasant  and  six  hens.  No  further  shelter  was  provided,  as 
the  exposure  to  the  rain  is,  as  is  well  known,  not  injurious  to 
these  birds.  The  eggs  are  collected  every  time  the  birds  are 
fed,  and  the  pens  shifted  daily  on  to  fresh  ground. 

The  plan  is  said  to  have  proved  exceedingly  successful, 
one  breeder,  who  has  used  the  method  for  seven  years, 
obtaining  -10,000  eggs  from  pens  each  containing  six  hens  and 
a  cock. 

The  advantage  of  making  these  pens  of  thin  light  wood  is 
manifest.  They  are  cheaper  to  construct,  costing  only  lOs. 
each  complete  ;  the  sides,  when  the  pens  are  taken  to  pieces 
for  storage  during  the  winter,  occupy  much  less  space,  and 
the  wood,  being  thin,  does  not  absorb  so  much  water  during 


lOG         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

rain,  and  is  dried  quicker  by  the  wind  and  sun  ;  and  the  pens 
are  readily  shifted  by  one  person.  The  eggs  are  removed  by 
shitting  the  netting  at  the  top,  and  taken  out  by  means  of  a 
small  3in.  or  4in.  landing  net. 

There  are  many  localities  in  which  such  a  plan,  should  it 
be  as  advantageous  as  has  been  represented  to  me,  would  be 
exceedingly  convenient.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  sanitary 
])recaution  of  shifting  the  pens  every  day  should  be  rigidly 
insisted  upon.  If  the  ground  is  allowed  to  become  foul  by 
keeping  the  birds  on  the  same  space  for  several  days,  disease 
would  inevitably  ensue ;  but,  small  as  the  space  is,  in 
consequence  of  the  birds  being  continually  over  fresh, 
untainted  ground,  I  am  assured  they  do  exceedingly  well.  I 
should  have  imagined  that  the  number  of  birds  in  so  small  a 
pen  would  have  been  too  great,  but  I  am  told  that  six  hens 
have  done  as  well  in  these  small  movable  pens  as  a  less 
number.  Although  I  have  had  no  experience  of  this  mode  of 
keeping  pheasants,  nor  have  seen  it  put  into  practice,  I  think 
it  is  quite  worthy  of  the  attention  of  all  pheasant  rearers  ; 
therefore  I  have  great  pleasure  in  publishing  this  account. 
It  is  obvious  that  the  plan  possesses  one  great  advantage  over 
the  use  of  large  open  pens — namely,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
pinion  the  birds  or  cut  the  wing  feathers,  consequently  at  the 
end  of  the  laying  season  they  can  be  let  out  into  the  open  with 
full  security  against  the  attacks  of  dogs  and  foxes.  The  pens 
can  be  strengthened  by  a  small  lath  or  bar  screwed  across 
each  corner,  and  to  this  can  be  tied  a  spruce  branch,  under 
which  the  hens  can  lay,  and  the  netting,  I  should  have  said, 
is  most  readil}^  secured  by  being  tied  down  to  l^in,  screw 
eyes.  Another  advantage  arising  from  the  plan  of  frequently 
shifting  the  pens  is  that  a  supply  of  fresh  grass  is  provided  by 
each  movement. 

Many  pheasant  rearers  are  so  short-sighted  as  to  recruit 
their  stock  of  eggs  by  purchase,  forgetting  that  in  the  great 
majority  of  cases  these  eggs  are  stolen,  either  from  their  own 
or  from  other  preserves.     In  some  cases  the  keepers  them- 


SALE  OF  EGGS.  lOT 


solves  purloin  the  eggs  and  sell  thein  to  the  dealers^  from 
w  horn  they  are  perhaps  repurchased  by  the  owner  of  the  very 
estate  from  whence  they  were  abstracted.  As  au  example  of 
tlie  mode  in  which  these  frauds  are  perpetrated,  I  may 
adduce  the  following  example,  furnished  by  a  coi'respondent  : 
"  On  a  small  estate  in  Sussex  there  was  a  pheasantry  with 
about  seventy-five  birds,  and  when  the  laying  commenced,  the 
eggs  were  taken  up  carefully  two  or  three  times  a  day ;  the 
keeper  had  these  eggs  out  as  he  got  the  hens  ready  to  sit, 
which  was  three  or  four  times  a  Aveek,  as  a  very  large 
number  of  heus  were  kept.  A  book  was  kept,  in  which  were 
entered  the  eggs  laid  each  day,  the  eggs  given  out  being 
also  entered  in  a  second  column,  and  the  number  of  birds 
hatched  in  a  third;  and  the  keeper  was  directed  to  preserve 
all  the  eggs  not  hatched  or  bad,  so  that  they  might  be  added 
to  the  number  of  birds,  and  the  total  of  birds  hatched  and 
bad  eggs  compared  with  the  eggs  laid.  The  first  ten  or 
twelve  hens  brought  out  good  broods  of  from  thirteen  to 
seventeen  birds  each.  Afterwards  they  decreased,  and  in 
many  cases  there  were  only  three,  and  even  as  low  as  one 
bird  in  a  brood.  The  eggs  were  never  more  than  a  day  or 
two  old  when  first  sat  upon,  we  had  ofteu  hens  waiting  for 
the  eggs,  and  everything  was  most  favourable  for  a  large 
return  of  birds.  At  this  time  some  suspicion  was  entertained, 
and  for  a  time  the  keeper  was  more  closely  looked  after, 
when  the  broods  at  once  came  up  to  twelve  and  fourteen 
birds.  But,  unfortunately,  the  same  watchful  care  was  not 
continued,  and  at  the  end  of  the  season  it  was  found  that  he 
was  short  upwards  of  seven  hundred  eggs,  and  that  he  had 
sold  upwards  of  thirty-five  pounds  worth.  The  sitting- 
house  was  a  first-rate  one  for  the  purpose — large,  roomy,  and 
diy.  The  keeper^s  plan  was  to  keep  back  a  portion  of  good 
eggs  out  of  each  setting,  and  substitute  bad  ones  in  their 
place.  I  am  very  far  indeed  from  saying  that  this  is  a 
common  occurrence ;  for  I  am  glad  to  say  that  most  keepers 
are  as  anxious  about  their  charges  as  their  employers." 


108         I'MEASAXTi^  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


From  the  indisposition  shown  by  the  pheasant  to  incubate 
in  confinement,  it  is  necessary  in  all  cases  to  have  recourse 
to  the  hens  of  the  domestic  fowl  as  foster  parents.  A^arious 
opinions  are  offered  as  to  the  breed  of  fowls  most  suitable 
for  the  purpose.  There  can,  however,  be  no  doubt  that  it 
should  be  one  of  a  moderate  size,  and  not  too  prolific  in  egg 
producing,  as  it  is  essential  that  the  mother  hen  should  keep 
with  the  poults  as  long  as  possible,  which  she  is  not  likely  to 
do  after  she  commences  laying.  Silky  fowls  are  strongly 
recommended  by  some,  and  they  unquestionably  constitute 
admirable  mothers.  M.  Vekemans,  of  the  Antwerp  Zoo- 
logical Gardens,  where  rare  pheasants  are  reared  more 
successfully  than  in  any  similar  establishment  in  Europe, 
employs  half-bred  silkies ;  and  the  late  Mr.  Stone,  of 
Scyborwen,  fully  indorsed  his  opinion.  These  half-bred 
silkies  are  good  sitters,  admirable  mothers,  and  keep  a  long 
time  with  the  young.  The  ordinary  bantams  sometimes 
recommended  are  undoubtedly  too  small,  not  being  able  to 
cover  the  poults  when  of  any  size.  The  employment  of  pure 
bred  game  hens  is  strongly  recommended  by  many  breeders 
of  pheasants,  as  they  will  defend  their  chicks  against  any 
enemies  that  may  attack  them,  though  their  natural  wildness 
renders  their  management  somewhat  difficult  at  times ;  any 
small,  tame,  ordinary  hens  will  answer  if  known  as  good 
nurses,  and  none  others  should  be  employed. 

Hens  with  feathered  legs  are  not  desirable,  as  they  are 
very  frequently  afflicted  with  what  is  known  as  "  scurfy  legs," 
a  very  obnoxious  disease,  which  is  caused  by  minute  parasites 
that  breed  under  the  scales,  causing  rough  swellings.  These 
parasites  extend  to  the  young  pheasants,  and  many  coverts 
are  infested  with  scurfy-legged  pheasants  in  consequence. 

It  is  the  common  custom  to  set  the  hens  in  close  boxes, 
with  little  or  no  ventilation,  crowded  together  in  sitting 
houses.  Under  these  conditions  the  nests  swarm  with 
vermin,  the  sitting  hens  become  irritable  and  break  their 
•eggs ;    and   when    the    young   plieasants   come   out  they  are 


OUTDOOR  PENS  FOR  HATCHING. 


109 


infested  with  fleas  and  lice,  and  are  nearly  devoured  alive. 
]\Ioreover,  tlie  dry,  stifling-  air  of  tliese  places  is  destructive 
to  the  vitality  of  the  unhatched  birds,  numbers  of  which  die 
in  the  shell  either  before  or  at  the  period  of  hatching.  Every 
poultry  keeper  knows  that  no  nests  are  so  prolific  of  strong 
healthy  chickens  as  those  that  the  hens  "steal"  under 
hedges  or  in  copses  or  concealed  places,  from  whence  they 
emerge  with  strong  flourishing  broods  that  put  to  shame  the 
delicate,  sickly  youngsters  reared  in  the  close  air  and  dry 
over-heated  nests  of  a  hatching-house.  The  nearer  we  can 
imitate  Nature  the  better — and  if  the  hens  hatching  pheasants^ 
eggs  can  be  set  on  the  ground,  covered  over  with  a  ventilated 
coop — more  for  concealment  than  warmth — and  this  sur- 
rounded by  a  wire  run,  into  which  the  hen  can  come  out,  feed,^ 


HATCHING    BOX. 


BOX    AND    RUN    COMPLETE. 


drink,  and,  above  all,  dnst  herself,  at  her  will,  the  eggf^  will  be 
found  to  hatch  out  much  more  abundantly  than  when  they 
are  set  in  the  vermin-infested,  crowded  pigeon  holes  adopted 
by  many  keepers.  Such  nesting  boxes  may  be  a  cheaply  con- 
structed box,  as  shown  in  the  woodcut.  The  nest  should  be 
on  the  ground,  there  being  no  bottom  to  the  box ;  and  if  the 
sides  and  the  wire  work  are  sunk  into  the  earth,  and  the 
latter  is  sparrow  and  rat  proof,  the  hen  may  be  supplied  once 
daily  with  food  and  Avater  without  entailing  any  further 
trouble.  But  some  drj^  ashes  should  be  given  in  which  she 
can  dust  herself,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  the  larger 
the  wire  inclosure  can  be  made  the  better. 

In  confirmation  of  my  views  on  the  subject  of  hatching, 
I   have    much    pleasure  in  quoting    the   following    practical 


110         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

observations  of  Mr.  F,  Crook,  who  states : — "  The  fault 
usually  existing  is,  that  an  over-careful,  pampering  system  is 
adopted,  and  miserable  broods  are  the  result.  I  have 
experimented  in  a  manner  which  leaves  no  doubt  upon  the 
subject.  Upon  one  occasion  I  was  anxious  to  test  the  fertility 
of  certain  pheasants'  eggs,  and  continued  to  remove  the  egs;s 
from  a  nest  in  the  woods  until  I  found  the  hen  desirous  of 
sitting.  I  left  twelve  eggs  in  the  nest,  and  I  sat  thirteen  at 
home  under  a  hen ;  the  pheasant  brought  out  twelve  birds, 
while  at  home  I  only  had  three  miserable  birds.  Similar 
results  have  many  times  occurred  since.  As  a  rule,  the  home 
batching  places  are  too  confined  in  area,  the  hens  are  fed  too 
near  the  nests,  and  are  not  compelled  to  remain  off  the  eggs 
long  enough,  and  no  amount  of  wetting  or  sprinkling  with 
water,  either  hot  or  cold,  recommended  by  some  writers,  will 
compensate  for  a  due  supply  of  fresh  air.  Birds  in  the  woods 
select  a  dry  spot,  sheltered  from  the  rains  as  much  as  possible. 
Sometimes  they  will  carry  dry  leaves,  soft,  short  straw,  hay, 
and  feathers ;  at  other  times  the  nest  is  made  in  a  hollow  at 
the  root  of  a  tree,  and  the  eggs  are  laid  on  the  loose  mould ; 
or  under  thick  bushes,  and  covered  with  coarse  grass  ;  but  in 
every  case  the  nest  is  never  stifled,  having  the  freest  circula- 
tion of  air  surrounding  it.  If  such  natural  precautions  alone 
are  used,  greater  success  may  be  looked  for  at  home  than 
when  the  nests  are  made  up  in  quiet,  warm,  small  places, 
where  the  birds  have  but  little  room  to  move,  and  the  eggs 
get  nothing  but  a  foetid  atmosphere  to  destroy  the  life  that 
lies  beneath  the  shell.  The  term  of  incubation  of  pheasants' 
eggs  varies  considerably.  I  have  hatched  them  at  home  at 
all  times  from  twenty-two  to  twenty-seven  days,  but  in  the 
woods  they  invariably  turn  out  about  the  twenty-fourth  day. 
Those  which  hatch  at  the  most  natural  time  of  twenty-four 
days  turn  out  to  be  the  finest  and  healthiest  birds.  There  is 
some  care  required  in  marking  the  dates  and  number  of  eggs 
set  in  each  nest  for  hatching,  as  by  a  little  forethought  in 
this  respect,   great   advantages    may  be  obtained  by  saving 


TESTING  EGGS.  Ill 


time^  and  retaining  the  services  of  the  sitting  hen.  Over 
each  nest  the  date  should  be  distinctly  pencilled,  thus  ,j^ 
which  means  fourteen  eggs  were  set  on  April  16,  1896. 
About  the  ninth  day  the  eggs  should  be  examined,  and 
all  those  which  appear  perfectly  clear,  as  when  first  set, 
should  be  laid  on  one  side  as  useless  for  hatching,  but  as 
perfectly  good  for  feeding  the  poults.'^ 

Tin's  examination  of  the  eggs  after  they  have  been  sat  on 
for  a  few  days  is  exceedingly  desirable,  as  those  that  are 
unfertilised  may  be  removed,  when  they  serve  as  food  for 
the  poults,  and  leave  more  room  for  such  as  contain  live 
birds. 

Many  instruments  dignified  by  the  title  of  ovascopes  and 
egg-testers  have  been  devised  for  this  purpose,  some  with 
lenses,  others  with  reflectors,  &c.  I  have  tried  the  whole  of 
them,  and  do  not  find  them  superior  to  the  following  simple 
contrivance,  the  description  and  engraving  of  which  is  re- 
produced from  my  work  on  "  Table  and  Market  Poultry  "  : 

"  The  most  simple  egg-tester  is  made  out  of  a  piece  of 
cardboard  ;  the  cover  of  an  old  book  answers  very  well.  An 
oval  hole  should  be  cut  in  it,  not  quite  large  enough  to  allow 
an  egg  to  pass  through,  and  if  the  cardboard  is  white,  one 
side  should  be  inked  or  painted  black.  The  eggs  are  more 
conveniently  removed  from  the  hen  at  night,  or  if  in  day 
they  should  be  taken  into  a  room  from  which  daylight  is 
excluded.  A  single  lamp  only  should  be  used.  The  card- 
board, with  the  darkened  side  towards  the  observer,  should 
be  held  near  the  chimney  of  the  lamp,  and  the  eggs,  one  after 
another,  should  be  held  against  the  hole.  Those  that  con- 
tain chickens  will  be  observed  to  be  quite  dark  and  opaque, 
except  at  the  larger  end,  where  the  air-space  exists.  These 
should  be  replaced  under  the  hen.  Those  that  have  not  been 
fertilised,  and  are  consequently  sterile,  are  sufficiently 
transparent  to  allow  the  light  to  pass  through,  and  look  as 
fresh  eggs  would  if  examined  in  the  same  manner.  Such 
eggs   are    usually    termed    '  clear.^     These    clear    eggs    are 


112  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

perfectly  good  to  eat ;  but  it  is  preferable  to  save  them  for 
the  food  of  the  chickens  when  hatched.  Throwing  them 
away  is  a  wasteful  proceeding." 

It  is  evident  that  setting  two  or  more  hens  on  the  same 
day  is  advantageous,  as  the  "clear"  eggs  may  be  removed 
from  the  whole  of  the  nests,  and  the  number  in  those  that  are 
deficient  made  up  from  the  other  nests,  a  fresh  batch  being- 


METHOD     OF     TESTING     EGGS. 


placed  under  the  hen  the  whole   of  whose   eggs  have   been 
removed. 

The  conveyance  of  eggs  for  the  purpose  of  hatching  is 
tolerably  well  understood  by  the  most  experienced  breeders. 
There  is  nothing  equal  to  a  good-sized  basket  in  which  they 
can  be  placed,  surrounded  with  and  separated  from  one 
another  by  hay.  Boxes  with  bran,  sawdust,  cut  chaff,  &c., 
are    very    inferior,    as    these    materials    shake    into    smaller 


TURKEY  HENS  AS  REARERS.  113 


compass  by    the    jolting    of    the    journey,  and  the  eggs  fre- 
quently come  into  contact  and  are  broken. 

Sometimes  circumstances  may  occur  in  which  it  is  desir- 
able to  exchange  the  eggs  of  fowls  and  pheasants  temporarily  ; 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  so  doing.  Pheasants'  and  partridges' 
eggs  may  be  taken  from  their  nests,  and  others  substituted. 
The  exchanged  eggs  may  be  placed  uuder  common  hens. 
As  soon  as  the  pheasants'  eggs  show  appearance  of  hatching, 
they  are  removed  back  again  to  those  nests  which  have  not 
been  forsaken,  with  very  good  results.  The  exchange  is 
much  more  likely  to  succeed  with  pheasants  than  partridges ; 
with  the  former  it  is  almost  a  certainty.  The  advantages 
are  many,  and  all  on  the  keeper's  side,  as  he  may  turn  out 
with  the  old  birds  larger  broods  than  they  otherwise  would 
have  hatched. 

In  those  cases  in  which  the  nest  of  the  pheasant  is  in  a 
situation  likely  to  be  disturbed,  the  plan  may  be  advan- 
tageous ;  but,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  the  eggs  had 
better  be  left  unmolested,  as  the  hen  pheasant  is  almost 
certain  to  bring  off  a  larger  number  of  chicks  than  would 
result  if  the  eggs  were  shifted  under  a  farmyard  hen. 

In  some  parts  of  Germany  turkey  hens  are  employed  to 
liatch  pheasants ;  the  eggs  are  collected  and  placed  under 
the  hens,  who  make  excellent  mothers,  and  are  capable  of 
hatching  and  rearing  twice  the  number  of  poults  that  a  barn- 
door hen  can  raise  From  the  great  success  that  has  attended 
the  introduction  into  England  of  the  American  plan  of 
allowing  turkey  hens  to  la}^  sit,  and  rear  their  young  in  the 
open,  I  should  strongly  advise  the  placing  of  pheasants 
eggs  in  the  nest  of  a  turkey  hen  that  has  sat  herself  in  some 
hedgerow  or  covert,  and  letting  her  rear  the  young- 
pheasants,  uncooped,  and  at  perfect  liberty. 

Mr.  Rowland  Ward,  a  very  practical  pheasant  rearer, 
writes  as  folloAvs  :  "  I  wish  someone  interested  in  the  rearing 
of  pheasants  would  set  a  turkey  on  some  of  their  eggs,  nnd 
when  these  have  been  hatched  out  allow  the  old  bird  to  roam 


114  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

as  it  pleased,  and  to  find  the  food  for  its  brood  as  wild 
pheasants  would  do.  I  am  sure  the  experiment  would,  in 
some  people's  hands  prove  most  successful,  notwithstanding 
the  use  of  such  a  big  hen  for  the  purpose." 

The  disparity  between  the  size  of  the  turkey  hen  and  the 
young  pheasants  may  appear  too  great  to  afford  any  hope  of 
success,  but,  as  I  have  said,  the  plan  is  followed  in  Germany, 
and  in  France  turkey  hens  are  largely  employed  to  hatch 
chickens,  and  those  only  who  have  noticed  the  deliberate  and 
delicate  manner  in  which  the  foster  parent  puts  down  her  foot 
when  tending  her  young  will  not  wonder  at  the  success  of  the 
system  advocated. 


CHAPTEK    VIII. 


MANAGEMENT  OF  PHEASANTS  IN  CONFINEMENT 
(CONTINUED). 


REARING   THE   YOUNG   BIRDS. 

^UCCESS  in  the  rearing  of  young  birds,  it  cannot 
be  too  strongly  impressed  on  the  inexperienced 
pheasant  rearer,  is  never  the  reward  of  those  who 

practise  perpetual  intermeddling  with  the  sitting  hens. 

All  interference  at  the  time  the  eggs  are  hatching  is 

injurious ;  nevertheless,  there  are  fussy  people  who 
cannot  imagine  that  anything  can  progress  rightly  without 
their  assistance ;  when  the  eggs  are  chipping  they  disturb 
the  fowl  to  see  how  many  are  billed;  this  is  generally 
resented  by  the  hen,  who  sinks  down  on  her  eggs,  and  most 
probably  crushes  one  or  two  of  them,  and  thus  renders  the 
escape  of  the  young  birds  almost  impossible.  It  is  perfectly 
true  that  sometimes  an  unhatched  bird  that  would  otherwise 
be  unable  to  extricate  itself,  may  be  assisted  out  of  the  shell 
and  survive,  but  it  is  no  less  certain  that  for  one  whose  life 
is  preserved  in  this  manner  a  score  are  sacrificed  to  the 
meddling  curiosity  of  the  interferer. 

The  chicks  should  be  left  under  the  hen  till  they  are 
twenty-four  hours  old  without  being  disturbed ;  by  this  time' 
the  yolk  which  is  absorbed  into  the  intestines  at  the  period  of 
hatching  will  have  been  digested,  and  the  young  birds 
become  strong  enough  to  run  from  under  the  parent  hen. 
If  the  fowl  is  set  in  one  of  the  coops  with  a  wire  run,  such 
1  2 


116  PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

as  I  have  recommended,  she  had  better  be  left  alone,  and  will 
leave  the  nest  herself  as  soon  as  the  chicks  are  strong  enough 
to  follow  her.  The  ridiculous  practice  of  taking  the  young 
birds  as  soon  as  hatched,  dipping  their  bills  in  water  or  milk 
to  teach  them  to  drink,  and  forcing  down  their  delicate 
throats  whole  pepper-corns  or  grains  of  barley,  is  so  opposed 
to  common  sense  that  it  does  not  need  to  be  refuted.  When 
young  pheasants  and  fowls  are  hatched  in  a  state  of  nature,, 
they  are  much  stronger  and  more  vigorous  than  those  reared 
under  the  care  of  man  (unless,  indeed,  the  season  be  so  wet 
as  to  be  injurious  to  the  wild  birds),  although  they  are  not 
crammed  with  pepper-corns,  highly  spiced  artificial  foods, 
and  other  nostrums,  but  have  to  seek  their  first  food  for 
themselves.  Nature  is  far  cleverer  than  man,  but,  un- 
fortunately, the  latter  has  not  always  the  sense  to  perceive 
the  fact.  The  nearer  we  can  imitate  her  in  our  arrangements,. 
the  more  successful  we  shall  be. 

With  regard  to  the  first  food  of  the  young  chicks,  there- 
is  nothing  superior  to  a  supply  of  fresh  ants'  eggs  (as  they 
are  generally  termed,  although,  strictly  speaking,  they  are- 
the  pupse,  and  not  the  eggs  of  the  insects).  For  grain,  I  can. 
strongly  recommend,  as  the  first  food,  a  good  proportion  of 
canary  seed  in  addition  to  grits  and  meal.  Grain  when, 
once  crushed  or  bruised  has  its  vitality  destroyed,  and  it  then 
undergoes  changes  when  exposed  to  the  air  :  the  diiference 
between  sweet,  new  oatmeal  and  the  pungent,  biting,  rancid 
meal  that  is  often  found  in  the  fusty  drawers  of  the  corn- 
chandler,  is  known  to  all  persons  accustomed  to  use  oatmeal 
as  food.  This  change,  however,  does  not  occur  in  the  entire 
grain  as  long  as  its  vitality  exists,  and  hence  the  whole 
canary  seed,  which  is  readily  devoured  by  the  young 
pheasants,  is  almost  certain  to  be  fresh  and  sweet.  More- 
over, the  husk  contains  a  larger  proportion  of  phosphate  of 
lime,  or  bone-making  material,  than  the  centre  of  the  grain,, 
and  is,  therefore,  better  adapted  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
growing  birds.     The  first  food  preferred  by  young  partridges- 


FEEDING  YOUNG  PHEASANTS.  IIT 


is  the  seed  of  the  crested  dog's  tail  grass  {Cynosurus  cristatus), 
with  which  their  crops  will  often  be  found  quite  full,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  it  would  be  an  equally  advantageous  food  for 
young  pheasants,  but  is  not  as  readily  obtained  as  canary  seed. 

To  afford  a  supply  of  artificially  prepared  animal  food, 
most  of  the  books  recommend  hard  boiled  eggs,  grated  or 
chopped  small,  to  be  mixed  with  bread  crumbs,  meal, 
vegetables,  &c.  Nothing,  however,  can  be  less  attractive  to 
the  young  birds  than  the  food  they  are  frequently  condemned 
to  exist  upon.  I  have  often  seen  pieces  of  the  chopped  white 
of  hard  boiled  eg^,  dried  by  the  sun  into  horny  angular 
particles,  refused  by  the  young  birds,  although  on  these,  with 
bread  crumbs  also  dried  to  brittle  fragments  in  the  sun,  many 
persons  attempt  to  rear  young  pheasants — and  necessarily  fail. 
The  best  substitute  for  ants'  eggs  is  custard,  made  by  beating 
an  egg  with  a  tablespoonf ul  of  milk,  and  "  setting  "  the  whole 
by  a  gentle  heat,  either  in  the  oven  or  by  the  side  of  the  fire. 
The  clear  eggs  that  have  been  sat  on  for  a  week  answer 
perfectly  well.  No  artificially  prepared  animal  food  can 
surpass  this  mixture.  The  egg  supplies  albumen,  oil,  phos- 
phorus, sulphur,  &c. ;  whilst  the  milk  affords  caseine,  sugar  of 
milk,  and  the  requisite  phosphate  of  lime  and  other  mineral 
ingredients ;  moreover,  these  are  all  prepared  and  mixed  in 
Nature's  laboratory  for  the  express  purpose  of  supporting  the 
life  and  growth  of  young  animals,  and  combined  as  custard 
form  a  most  soft,  sapid,  attractive  food,  that  is  eagerly 
devoured  by  the  poults.  From  my  own  long  experience  in 
rearing  many  species  of  gallinaceous  birds,  I  am  confident 
that  a  very  much  larger  proportion  can  be  reared  if  custard 
and  canary  seed  form  a  considerable  proportion  of  their  food 
for  the  first  few  weeks,  than  on  any  other  dietary  whatever. 

Many  rearers  of  pheasants  are  strongly  in  favour  of 
using  curd,  made  from  fresh,  sweet  milk  put  on  the  fire,  and 
when  warm  turned  or  curdled  with  alum,  and  then  put  into  a 
coarse  cloth,  which  is  to  be  twisted  or  pressed  until  the  curd 
is    a   hard  mass.      There  are  several  objections    to    curd   as 


118  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


food.  The  alum  is  a  powerful  asbriugent,  and  is  not  a  natural 
diet  for  young  birds.  The  curd  so  made  only  contains  two 
of  the  constituents  of  the  milk,  namely,  the  caseine  and  the 
cream.  The  whey,  containing  the  sugar  of  milk,  the  saline 
ingredients,  and,  above  all,  the  bone-making  materials,  is 
rejected,  whereas,  when  the  milk  is  made  into  custard, 
the  whole  of  the  constituents  are  retained,  and  to  them  i& 
added  the  no  less  valuable  ingredients  of  the  egg.  There  is, 
in  fact,  no  comparison  to  be  made  between  the  nutritive- 
values  of  curd  and  custard. 

Gentles  or  the  maggots  of  the  bluebottle  or  flesh  fly 
are  used  by  some  keepers.  They  are  generally  obtained  by 
hanging  up  in  the  woods,  at  a  distance  from  a  human 
habitation,  some  horseflesh,  or  the  bodies  of  vermin  that 
have  been  killed,  and  the  gentles  are  allowed  to  drop  into  a 
tub  of  bran.  The  plan  is  necessarily  offensive.  A  much 
l)etter  plan  in  situations  where  it  can  be  employed,  is  to  allow 
the  dead  bodies  of  any  animals  to  become  thoroughly  fly- 
blown, and  then  to  bury  them  a  few  inches  in  the  soil,, 
as  previously  described.  It  is  obvious,  however,  that  this 
plan  cannot  be  pursued  where  the  pheasants  are  reared  under 
hens  confined  in  coops.  Maggots  can  also  be  procured  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  sea  coast  by  adopting  the  following 
plan,  recommended  in  Cornwall  Simeon's  "  Stray  Notes  on 
Fishing  and  Natural  History." 

''It  is  not,  I  think,  generally  known  that  maggots 
admirably  adapted  for  feeding  young  pheasants  and  par- 
tridges can  be  procured  from  common  sea-Aveed.  Thity 
should  be  taken  up  as  near  low  water  mark  as  possible, 
placed  in  a  heap,  and  allowed  to  rot  about  a  fortnight,  after 
which  it  will  be  found  SAvarming  with  maggots,  rather 
smaller  than  those  bred  in  flesh.  The  keeper  from  Avhom  I 
learnt  this  dodge,  a  man  of  considerable  experience  in  his 
vocation,  tells  me  that  he  considers  them,  as  food  for  young 
birds,  superioi*  to  flesh  maggots,  inasmuch  as  they  may  be 
given  in  any  quantity,  Avithout  fear  of  causing  surfeit." 


BARTLETT  ON  BEARING  PHEASANTS.  119 

When  the  hens  are  cooped,  as  is  necessary  where  numbers 
of  pheasants  are  reared,  a  g-ood  supply  of  fresh  vegetable  food 
is  absolutely  necessary  ;  and  I  believe  that  nothing-  surpasses 
chopped  le^ituce,  which  should  be  running  to  seed,  and  con- 
sequently milky,  as  the  pheasants  take  to  it  much  more  readily 
than  they  do  to  onions,  watercress,  &c.,  or  other  green  food. 
The  greater  the  vai-iety  of  food  the  better ;  therefore,  in 
addition  to  the  articles  before  spoken  of,  a  little  crushed 
hempseed,  millet,  dari,  and  coarse  Indian  corn  meal,  if  fresh, 
&c.,  may  be  added. 

As  the  mode  of  treating  pheasant  chicks  by  different 
breeders  varies  considerably,  it  is  desirable  that  I  should 
indicate  the  management  which  has  been  found  successful  in 
other  hands.  I  will  first  quote  the  directions  of  the  late 
Mr.  Bartlett,  the  superintendent  of  the  gardens  of  the 
Zoological  Society,  Regent's  Park.  This  paper  Avas  written 
for  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot's  "  Monugmph  on  the  Phasianida?,"  and 
I  beg  to  return  my  thanks  to  these  gentlemen  for  permission 
to  quote  it  in  extenso.  Mr.  JJartlett  writes  :  "  At  first  the 
chicks  require  rather  soft  food,  but  not  very  moist.  One  of 
the  best  things  to  give  them  is  hard-boiled  egg  grated  fine,  and 
mixed  with  good  sweet  meal,  a  little  bruised  hempseed,  and 
fii)ely  chopped  green  food,  such  as  lettuce,  cabbage,  Avater- 
cress,  or  mustard  and  cress.  Meal  mixed  with  boiled  milk 
until  it  is  like  a  tough  dough,  sufiicientiy  dry  to  crumble 
easily,  together  with  a  small  quantity  of  millet  and  canary 
seed,  is  also  excellent  for  them.  A  baked  custard  pudding, 
made  of  well  beaten  eggs  and  milk,  is  likewise  of  great 
service  to  the  young;  and  if  the  season  is  wet  and  cold,  a 
little  pepper,  and  sufficient  dry  meal  to  render  it  stiff  enough 
to  crumble,  should  be  added  before  baking.  Ants'  eggs, 
meal  worms,  and  grasshoppers  are  also  very  useful.  The 
first  of  these  are  easily  obtained  in  a  dry  state,  in  which  con- 
dition they  can  be  kept  many  months,  and  ai-e  invaluable. 
Care  should  be  taken  that  fresh  and  finely-chopped  green 
food  should  be  given  daily.     Many  persons  are  in  the  habit 


120         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


of  giving  gentles  to  young  birds ;  there  is  great  danger  in 
these  ;  and  I  merely  mention  them,  without  recommending 
their  use ;  for,  unless  the  person  who  gives  them  will  take  the 
trouble  to  keep  them  for  some  time  in  moist  sand  or  damp 
earth  until  they  have  become  thoroughly  cleansed,  they  are 
apt  to  cause  purging.  Many  valuable  birds  have  been  lost 
by  the  incautious  use  of  gentles  freshly  taken  from  the 
carcase  of  some  dead  animal  ;  but,  if  well  cleansed  by 
keeping  ten  or  twelve  days  after  being  removed  from  the 
j&esh,  a  few,  very  few,  may  be  given  in  case  no  better  kind  of 
insect  food  is  at  hand.  The  treatment  of  the  young  birds, 
such  as  change  of  food,  &c.,  must  greatly  depend  upon  the 
judgment  and  skill  of  the  person  who  has  charge  of  them. 
Much  also  depends  upon  the  locality,  the  state  of  the  atmo- 
sphere, the  temperature,  the  dryness  or  wetness  of  the  season, 
the  abundance  or  scarcity  of  insect  food,  and  other  con- 
siderations which  must  serve  to  guide  those  in  whose  care 
the  chicks  are  placed." 

The  mode  of  management  pursued  by  the  late  Mr.  Douglas 
is  somewhat  different.  He  truly  remarks  :  "  Although  food 
has  a  great  deal  to  do  in  the  rearing  of  pheasants,  attention 
has  almost  an  equal  share  ;  and  without  the  attention  required 
being  given,  food  would  be  of  little  avail.  I  will  commence 
with  the  hatching.  Never  remove  your  hens  until  the 
chicks  are  well  nested,  guarding  the  nest  to  keep  any  that 
may  be  hatched  before  the  last  chick  is  strong  enough  to 
leave  the  nest.  Never  take  the  first  hatched  from  the  hen — 
it  is  wrong;  nothing  is  so  beneficial  in  strengtheoing  a 
chick  as  the  heat  of  the  hen's  body.  Let  feeding  alone  for 
the  first  twent3^-four  hours  after  the  first  chick  is  hatched ; 
the  large  quantity  of  yolk  that  is  drawn  into  the  chick  within 
the  last  twenty-four  hours  of  its  confinement  in  the  shell  is 
sufficient  for  its  wants  during  the  time  specified.  Next,  have 
your  coops  set  on  dry  turf  two  or  three  days  previous  to 
your  pheasants  being  hatched;  it  will  save  a  little  hurry 
when  wanted  ;  also  it  will  keep  the  spot  dry,  that  being  so 


DOUGLAS  ON  EEA1UX<:  PHEASANTS.  i2\ 

necessary  on  tlie  first  shift  from  the  nest.  If  your  turf  is  not 
of  a  sandy  nature,  sprinkle  a  handful  of  sand  on  where  you 
intend  to  shift  your  coops.  The  coops  being  shifted  daily  is 
very  beneficial  to  the  chicks.  Take  care  they  are  not  let  out 
in  the  morning  until  such  time  as  the  sun  is  well  up,  if  there 
is  a  heavy  dew  on  the  grass,  and  the  grass  has  got  a  little  dry. 
T  have  no  doubt  but  the  continual  letting  out  on  wet  grass, 
previous  to  the  sun  having  power  to  counteract  the  bad  effects 
of  the  cold  wet  dew,  is  the  cause  of  many  of  the  ills  they  are 
subject  to.  Feed  twice  or  thrice,  if  necessary,  previous  to 
letting  out.  The  principal  food  I  give  for  the  first  fortnight 
is  composed  of  eggs  and  new  milk,  made  as  follows  :  In 
proportions,  one  dozen  of  eggs,  beaten  up  in  a  basin,  added 
to  half  a  pint  of  new  milk  ;  when  the  milk  boils  add  the 
eggs,  stirring  over  a  slow  fire  for  a  short  period  to  thicken, 
when  it  will  form  a  nice  thick  custard.  This  I  give  for  the 
first  three  days  ;  then  I  commence  to  add  a  little  of  the 
best  oatmeal,  and  any  greens  the  garden  can  produce, 
finely  chopped,  for  the  next  three  or  four  days  ;  after  seven 
days  I  add  to  their  diet  a  little  kibbled  wheat — being  kiln- 
dried  previous  to  kibbling — also  split  groats  and  bruised 
hempseed,  occasionally  a  handful  of  millet  seed ;  taking  care 
all  their  food  is  of  the  very  best,  and  that  the  feeding  dishes 
are  scalded  in  boiling  water  daily.  The  above  food  I  use 
until  about  three  weeks  old,  when  I  add  minced  meat  mixed 
with  oat  or  barley-meal,  with  the  broth  from  the  meat,  the 
meat  being  composed  of  sheep's  heads  and  plucks,  taken  from 
the  bone  and  finely  minced,  and  just  sufficient  of  the  broth  to 
form  a  dr}'  crumbly  paste.  At  five  weeks  old  I  consider  a  feed 
of  good  wheat  and  barley  alternately,  the  last  thing  at  night, 
quite  necessary,  not  forgetting,  at  this  age,  to  add  a  little  tonic 
solution  of  sulphate  of  iron  to  their  water  daily.  At  this  time 
the  growth  of  their  feathers  requires  a  great  deal  of  support, 
and  if  the  bodily  strength  is  not  supported  by  a  strengthening 
diet,  they  must  give  way.  Continue  the  custard  up  to  eight 
weeks  old,  but  adding  more  meal  to  it,  with   the  green  food. 


122  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

Give  one  sort  of  food  at  a  time  (just  so  much  that  they  eat 
it  clean  up),  and  attendance  every  hour  from  the  time  you 
commence  to  feed  until  shut  up  for  the  night.  Change  the 
water  repeatedly  during  the  day/' 

With  regard  to  the  coops  employed  for  the  hens  with 
young  pheasants,  a  form  much  recommended  is  one  made 
like  a  box,  3ft.  long,  2ft.  wide,  and  2ft.  high  in  front,  sloping- 
oft'  to  1ft.  high  at  the  back,  and  having  a  movable  boarded 
floor  that  may  be  employed  if  the  ground  be  wet.  The  birds 
ought  to  have  a  further  space  of  about  two  yards  square  to 
run  in,  fenced  in  by  sparroAv-proof  wire  netting.  A  good 
coop  of  this  kind  is  shown  in  the  cut.  The  inclosed  run, 
which  is  proof  against  rats  and  sparrows,  &c.,  affords  a 
sufficient  space  for  the   exercise   of  the  young  birds   a   day 


or  two  after  hatching,  after  which  the  coops  should  be 
placed  without  the  wire  runs  in  the  spot  where  the  young- 
birds  are  to  be  reared,  the  grass,  if  high,  having  been 
mown  around  some  short  time  previously,  so  that  the 
young  shoots  and  tender  clover  may  be  growing  for  the 
use  of  the  birds.  The  advantages  of  these  arrangements 
have  been  very  ably  set  forth  by  Mr.  T.  C.  Cade,  of  Spondon, 
Derby.  He  writes :  "  There  is  a  great  saving  of  food,  as 
small  birds  are  excluded  by  the  wire  netting ;  and  it  is  also 
practicable  to  put  down  a  good  supply  of  food  at  night,  so 
that  the  young  pheasants  may  be  able  to  feed  as  soon  as  they 
Avake,  and  not  be  kept  waiting,  according  to  the  usual  plan, 
for  two  or  three  hours  during  the  long  summer  mornings 
before  they  are  let  out.     My  birds  are  never  shut  in  the  coop 


TETHERING  HENS  WITH  YOUNG  BIRDS.  123 

at  uight^  the  Avire  netting  being  suflScient  protection  against 
vermin  and  cats.  I  do  not  know  whether  any  of  your  readers 
have  ever  accompanied  their  keeper  on  a  hot  summer 
morning  when  he  is  letting  the  young  birds  out  of  the  coops. 
If  not,  let  them  do  so,  and  but  put  their  noses  within  a  foot 
of  the  coop,  and  I  will  venture  to  say  that  they  Avill  never 
allow  such  cruelty  again.  More  than  a  dozen  birds  confined, 
perhaps,  for  ten  hours  in  a  dirty,  ill-ventilated  box,  con- 
taining less  than  half  a  cubic  yard  of  air.  No  wonder  that 
they  look  languid  and  drooping,  and  that  it  takes  them  half 
the  day  to  recover.  I  am  far  from  insisting  that  the  birds 
should  at  all  times  be  kept  in  these  small  yards.  When  they 
are  more  than  a  week  old  I  would,  in  fine  weather,  raise  one 
of  the  sides  and  let  them  roam  at  their  will,  of  course,  re- 
placing the  board  at  night.  But  in  wet  weather  and  in  the 
mornings  before  the  dew  is  gone,  I  would  keep  them  up,  and 
not  run  the  risk  of  their  getting  draggled  and  chilled  with 
running  on  the  wet  grass."  When  shut  in  at  night,  which  is 
often  necessary  to  avoid  loss  by  weasels  or  rats,  &c.,  they 
should  be  let  out  at  da^'break  in  the  morning. 

Many  keepers  prefer  rearing  the  young  pheasants  under 
hens  that  are  tethered  by  a  cord  to  a  peg  driven  into  the 
ground,  with  an  open  shelter  coop  into  which  they  can 
retreat  at  night  and  during  rain. 

In  tethering  hens  used  for  rearing  young  pheasants,  a 
jess,  such  as  is  used  by  falconers,  is  generally  employed.  A 
piece    of   thin,   flexible  leather,  about  eight  inches  long,  by 


something  less  than  lin.  broad,  should  be  taken,  and  three 
openings  cut  in  it,  as  shown  in  the  diagram,  which  is  one-half 
the  requii-ed  size.  The  part  between  A  and  B  should  be 
l)laced  round  the  leg  of  the  hen,  the  slit  A  being  brought 


124         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  A  VI ARIES. 


over  B,  then  the  end  C  should  be  passed  through  both  slits, 
care  being  taken  that  it  goes 
through  A  first.  It  should  be 
pulled  right  through,  Avheu  it 
will  be  found  to  make  a  secure 
loop  round  the  leg  of  the  hen, 
which  she  can  neither  undo  by 
picking  nor  tighten  b}^  pulling. 
The  cord  of  the  requisite  length 
is  then  tied  to  C,  and  fastened 
to  a  peg  driven  in  the  ground, 
which  should  be  put  a  sufficient 
distance  from  the  coop  to  allow 
the  hen  to  take  shelter  in  it  in 
case  of  need.  A  hen  pegged 
down  in  this  manner  will  become 
perfectly  accustomed  to  the  cir- 
cumstances, and  will  jDroceed  to 
scratch  for  the  chicks  ia  a  very 
few  minutes. 

In  tethering  hens  with  young 
pheasants  near  an  open  coop,  I 
have  recently  been  made  ac- 
quainted with  a  knot  which 
renders  the  jess  unnecessary, 
requiring  only  a  piece  of  soft, 
stout  string  to  be  used.  This,  if 
properly  tied,  as  shown  in  the 
drawing,  cannot  be  tightened 
round  the  leg  of  the  hen  so  as  to 
injure  her,  whilst  it  admits  of 
ready   application    and  removal. 


It 


tied  as  follows :  Near  one 


end  of  the  cord  by  which  the  hen 
is  to  be  tethered  a  slip  loop  is 
tied,  as  shown  at  A,  and  the  two 


TETHEBING  HENS  WITH  YOUNG  BIRDS.  125 

ends  are  tlien  lied  together  in  a  knot  at  B.  The  cord  should 
be  so  arranged  that  the  loop  A  is  about  an  inch  long. 

The  proportions  are  shown  of  the  correct  size  in  the 
engraving.  When  it  is  wished  to  apply  this  to  a  hen  the  loop 
can  be  enlarged  by  sliding  the  slip  knot  down  the  string 
towards  B,  when  the  loop  will  become  sufficiently  large  for 
the  foot  of  a  hen  to  be  passed  through.  On  returning  the 
slip  knot  to  its  former  position,  the  loop  is  I'ound  the  leg  of 
the  hen,  but  cannot  be  tightened  by  her  pulling,  and  is  readily 
taken  oflF  and  put  on  again  as  required.  The  free  end  of  the 
string  may  be  as  long  as  is  desired,  depending  on  the  amount 
of  space  which  it  is  wished  to  allow  the  hen  to  roam  over. 
At  its  extremity  should  be  a  peg,  which  can  be  forced  into 
the  gTOund  firmly  enough  to  prevent  the  hen  pulling  it  out. 

An  open,  sheltered  coop  should  be  placed  near  her,  under 
which  she  can  retreat  at  night  and  during  rain.  The  coop 
should  not  be  put  so  close  to  the  peg  by  which  the  hen  is 
fastened  that  she  can  walk  round  it,  but  near  the  limit  of  her 
cord,  so  that  she  can  pass  in  and  out,  but  not  round  the  back. 
When  thus  fastened  the  hen  is  able  to  scratch  the  surface  of 
the  ground  and  supply  her  young  with  the  seeds,  grubs, 
worms,  and  natural  food  which  is  so  much  more  advantageous 
to  them  than  any  artificial  substitute  that  can  be  given.  The 
young  pheasants  or  chickens,  even  when  two  or  three  days 
old,  will  be  observed  scratching  for  themselves,  and  the 
progress  that  they  make  when  reared  under  these  conditions 
is  out  of  all  proportion  to  that  made  when  the  hen  is  kept 
cooped  up  and  the  birds  are  fed  on  the  hard,  soiled,  dirty 
ground.  The  pegs  and  coops  can  be  shifted  daily,  so  that 
the  young  birds  are  alwaj's  on  fresh  ground. 

In  situations  where  such  a  convenience  is  available,  there 
is  no  more  advantageous  situation  for  newly  hatched 
]iheasants  than  a  garden  surrounded  with  high  walls.  A 
very  practical  correspondent,  writing  from  Kildare,  says : 
"  There  can  be  no  better  place  to  put  young  birds  when 
newly  reared  than  a   large    walled-in  vegetable  garden.     I 


126         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

always  place  mine,  hencoop  and  all,  near  a  plot  of  cabbages, 
gooseberries,  or  raspberries,  where  they  have  good  covert  and 
feeding,  and,  above  all,  are  protected  from  any  injury  at 
night  during  the  period  of  their  jugging  on  the  ground, 
which  they  do  for  some  time  before  they  fly  up  to  roost. 
By  feeding  them  at  the  coops  four  or  five  times  a  day,  they 
will  stay  in  the  garden  until  fully  feathered,  and  able  to  liy 
over  the  wall  to  the  adjacent  coverts.  I  have  had  hen 
pheasants  that  nested  in  the  garden  and  hatched  under 
gooseberry  bushes,  coming  to  my  whistle  to  feed  regularly 
every  morning.  If  the  young  birds  are  put  out  into  the  covert, 
the  hen  and  coop  (as  in  the  garden)  should  be  brought  with 
them,  and  laid  in  a  ride  close  to  some  very  thick  covert ;  they 
should  be  fed  there  about  four  times  a  day,  beginning  early 
in  the  morning,  and  diminishing  as  the  birds  grow  strong. 
I  feed  them  at  this  period  on  crushed  wheat  and  barley, 
boiled  potatoes  chopped  fine,  some  boiled  rice  and  curds,  all 
mixed  together." 

A  very  vexed  question  with  regard  to  rearing  of  the 
young  birds  is  the  supply  of  water.  Some  very  practical 
keepers  give  no  water  whatever;  others  give  a  very  little; 
whilst  a  third  set  keep  up  an  abundant  supply.  I  am  strongly 
of  opinion  that  in  this,  as  in  all  other  respects,  we  cannot 
possibly  do  better  than  take  nature  for  our  guide.  When 
hatched  out  naturally,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  birds  obtain 
a  plentiful  supply  of  water.  Even  when  there  is  no  rain,  the 
cloudless  skies  are  productive  of  heavy  dews,  and  the  young 
birds  may  be  seen  drinking  the  glistening  drops  off  the  grass 
in  the  early  morning.  Some  persons  maintain  that  the  ova 
of  the  gapeworm  are  taken  in  with  the  water  gathered  from 
dewdrops  on  the  grass  ;  others  suggest  that  they  occur  in 
rain-water,  but  there  is  no  foundation  for  either  of  these 
theories,  as  the  disease  is  strictly  local,  which  would  not  be 
the  case  if  it  were  disseminated  by  a  flying  insect,  by  dew 
or  rain  water,  or  by  any  animals  inhabiting  running  water. 
Much  evil  is  produced  by  allowing  the  young  pheasants  to 


SUPPLY  OF  WATER  TO  YOUNG  BIRDS.  ]27 


drink  water  contaminated  with  their  own  excrement,  which 
is  always  the  case  if  the  water  vessels  are  so  constructed 
that  the  young  can  run  into  them ;  where  such  water  is 
used,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  injurious  quality,  but  I 
cannot  imagine  that  fresh,  clear  water  can  be  otherwise  than 
beneficial  to  the  birds. 

A  correspondent,  who  is  a  most  successful  breeder  of 
pheasants  on  a  large  scale,  and  whose  young  stock  are  in 
splendid  order,  writes  :  "  I  may  give  as  my  opinion  that  it 
is  perfectly  necessary  to  their  health  to  have  fresh  spring 
water.  Indeed,  my  man  last  year  used  to  go  to  one  particular 
spring  to  supply  his  birds,  as  it  was  better  water.  In  their 
wild  state,  immediately  they  are  out  of  the  nest,  the  hen 
conducts  them  to  the  water,  and  in  our  wild  Devonshire  hills, 
where  a  streamlet  runs  in  every  valley,  you  can  always  see 
the  well-defined  paths  of  the  broods  to  and  from  the  water. 
I  have  just  asked  my  man,  and  he  tells  me  that  so  well  are 
their  water-loving  propensities  known,  that  poachers  in  large 
breeding  places  always  net  in  dry  weather  any  springs 
within  reach  of  the  coops,  and  often  with  success."  Another 
authority  says:  ^'I  am  strongly  opposed  to  attempting  to 
rear  pheasants  without  water,  as  against  all  nature  ;  but  my 
keeper  adheres  to  his  own  opinion  that  for  at  least  some 
weeks  they  should  have  it  only  once  a  day,  bringing  forward 
cases  of  broods  hatched  in  dry  fields  where  no  water  flows. 
My  idea  is  that  in  a  wild  state  they  can  wander  in  search  of 
dew,  and  also  feed  upon  more  moist  and  natural  food  than  the 
egg,  meat,  and  herbs  that  are  chopped  for  them  when  reared 
under  hens.  I  am  aware  that  it  is  quite  a  common  practice 
amongst  keepers  to  deprive  the  little  birds  of  water,  and  I 
cannot  but  feel  it  to  be  a  cruel  as  well  as  a  mistaken  one.  I 
believe  that  dry  food  wants  water  to  aid  digestion  ;  and  when 
birds  are  kept  all  day  in  small  wired  inclosures  in  the  full 
blaze  of  the  sun,  it  seems  to  me  that  they  must  require  water 
to  keep  them  healthy ;  and  I  also  think  that  if  they  have  a 
little  always  in  the  pen,  they  will  drink  less  than  when  only 


128         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTfi  AND  AVIARIES. 

given  to  them  once  a  day.  1  saw  a  brood  last  week  that  had 
only  had  water  ouce^  quite  early  in  the  morning  ;  they  were 
being  fed  again  in  the  evening,  hut  would  eat  nothing.  I 
then  ordered  some  water  to  see  what  they  would  do,  and  the 
little  birds  and  the  old  hen  went  to  it  at  once,  and  seemed  as 
if  they  could  never  have  enough."  And  a  third,  writing  to 
me  on  the  same  object,  states:  "I  have  been  a  rearer  of 
pheasants  for  nearly  thirty  years.  I  give  mine  an  unlimited 
supply  of  water  at  all  stages  of  their  growth,  and  I  consider 
that  it  would  be  great  cruelty  to  withhold  it  from  them.  I  do 
not  consider  broods  brought  up  by  their  mothers  in  dry  fields 
where  no  Avater  is  to  be  found  at  all  to  the  point.  How  can 
our  poor  artificial  food  compare  with  the  thousand  and  one 
varieties  they  find  in  nature,  full  both  of  nourishment  and 
moisture,  with  which  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  supply 
them  in  confinement.  I  quite  endorse  your  suggestion 
as  regards  the  great  value  of  lettuce  for  pheasants.  I 
have  fed  them  for  some  years  with  it,  and  they  are  very 
fond  of  it." 

On  the  other  hand,  many  successful  keepers  do  not  give 
water,  or  only  in  very  small  quantity.  One  correspondent 
says :  "  I  know  a  keeper  who  rears  a  great  number  of 
pheasants  each  year,  and  he  does  not  give  them  water  till 
they  are  seven  or  eight  weeks  old,  at  which  age  they  begin 
to  eat  barley  and  corn,  and  require  water  to  assist  digestion. 
He  says  that  pheasants  in  their  wild  state  take  the  dew  in 
the  mornings,  and  only  in  very  dry  weather  do  the  old  hens 
take  their  broods  to  water.  In  very  dry  weather,  when  there 
is  little  or  no  dew,  he  sprinkles  water  twice  a  day  on  the 
grass,  but  never  puts  any  down  for  them  until  the  time  before 
stated,  and  when  he  waters  the  hens  he  does  not  allow  the 
pheasants  to  drink."  The  writer  of  the  following  letter 
holds  the  balance  very  fairly  between  the  opposing  views  : 
"  Much  depends  on  the  nature  of  the  food  upon  which  the 
chicks  are  fed  as  to  whether  they  should  have  water  or  not ; 
if  they  are  fed  on  dry  food,  and  the  weather  is  warm  and 


COST  OF  PHEASANT  BEARING.  129 


dry,  they  will  require  water,  but  it  must  be  very  clean,  and 
given  only  once  a  day,  and  must  not  remain  before  them 
longer  than  to  allow  each  bird  to  have  a  little.  If  the  birds 
are  fed  on  moist  scalded  food,  they  will  not  require  any  water 
unless  the  weather  is  very  hot,  when  a  little  may  be  given  as 
before  stated.  Birds  reared  on  heavy  clay  land  will  require 
less  water  than  those  reared  on  sandy  or  gravel  soil ;  atten- 
tion must  also  be  paid  to  the  amount  of  dew  which  falls, 
supposing  the  birds  are  set  at  liberty  before  the  dew  has 
time  to  evaporate.  Those  who  argue  that  nature  should  be 
the  guide  on  this  point  must  recollect  that  the  rearing  of 
pheasants  by  hand  is  altogether  an  artificial  process,  and  that 
therefore  nature  cannot  be  strictly  followed  with  regard  to 
water  any  more  than  with  regard  to  food.^'  A  well-known 
game  preserver  writes  on  the  subject  as  follows  :  "My  keeper 
is  a  very  successful  breeder  and  rearer  of  pheasants.  It 
seems  to  me  (for  I  watched  his  proceedings  very  closely)  that 
he  gives  the  birds  the  very  smallest  supply  of  water.  He 
carries  a  bottle  in  his  pocket  when  he  feeds,  and  puts  about 
a  wineglassful  into  each  hen's  saucer.  The  hens  seem  thirsty 
enough,  and  leave  but  little  for  the  young  birds.  He  feeds 
very  sparingly,  but  frequently,  throwing  the  food  wide.  He 
has  brought  up  a  great  many  pheasants  and  birds  for  me. 
One  year,  strange  to  say,  out  of  211  he  did  not  lose  one. 
Certainly  the  season  was  favourable.  Little  water,  and  food 
thrown  wide  round  the  coops,  seems  to  be  his  system."  The 
scattering  the  food  on  clean  soil  being  the  most  probable 
source  of  his  success. 

Inquiry  is  frequently  made  as  to  the  cost  of  rearing 
pheasants  in  numbers.  It  is  very  difficult  to  state  even  an 
approximate  sum,  so  much  depends  on  the  conditions  under 
which  they  are  raised.  For  food  only  until  they  are  ready  to 
go  into  the  coverts,  an  average  amount  of  from  Is.  to  1.9.  6d. 
per  head  may  be  stated. 

Mr.  T.  C.  Cade  writes  :  "  The  result  of  my  own  obser- 
vations   in    two    years    (1870   and   1878)    is   as    follows — In 

K 


130         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

1870  my  keeper's  bill  for  four  hundred  birds  was,  eggs, 
£5  6s.  6d.;  bread,  £1  I2s.  4|cZ. ;  milk,  £2  lis.  8d.;  suet, 
136'.  6d.;  'secrets,'  7s.  6d.— £10  ll.v.  6^d.  To  tbis  must 
be  added  Indian  corn,  meal,  and  rabbits ;  but  I  cannot 
give  the  exact  quantity  of  each,  as  dogs  were  fed  from  the 
meal  barrel,  and  the  rabbits  were  not  counted ;  £9  8s.  is,  I 
consider,  a  fair  estimate  of  the  cost  of  what  was  used  for  the 
birds— making  a  total  of  £20  for  four  hundred,  or  Is.  each. 
About  the  '  secrets '  I  can  say  nothing,  except  that  none  are 
required." 

"In  1878,  for  three  hundred  under  my  supervision,  the 
cost  was  :  Very  coarse  Scotch  meal,  £9  lbs.  6d. ;  milk,  £3  ; 
eggs,  £1  156'.;  rennet,  2.9.  8d. ;  wheat,  8s.  8d.;  bread, 
5s.  ll^cZ. ;  sheep's  paunches  (two  hundred),  £1  5s.;  a  horse, 
10s. ;  a  cow,  bs. ;  a  sheep,  5s.  The  last  three  for  producing 
maggots.  Total — £17  12s.  9^d.  No  rabbits  were  used. 
With  this  supply  of  food,  at  the  cost  of  a  little  more  than 
Is.  a  head,  not  only  were  97  per  cent,  of  the  birds  reared,  but 
I  think  they  were  as  fine  as  possible." 

The  cost  of  labour,  protection,  &c.,  varies  so  much  in 
different  localities  and  under  different  circumstances  that  it 
is  impracticable  to  draw  up  even  a  rough  average  of  general 
application.  Under  very  favourable  conditions,  as  Mr.  Cade 
demonstrates,  pheasants  may  be  reared  at  as  small  a 
cost  as  Is.  a  head,  and  in  others  the  cost  rises  to  14s.  or 
even  15s. 


CHAPTER    IX. 
THE   DISEASES   OF   PHEASANTS. 


I  HEASANTS  in  a  state  of  nature  are  particularly 
hardy.  Being  bre(i,  as  they  generally  are,  from 
strong  healthy  j^arents,  the  few  weakly  chickens 
that  are  produced  die  under  that  benevolent  arrange- 
ment which  has  been  so  justly  termed  the  survival  of 
the  fittest  in  the  struggle  for  life.  Consequently  the 
most  vigorous  remain  as  brood  stock,  and  propagate  a 
healthy  offspring.  Nevertheless,  in  some  seasons,  particularly 
during  those  that  are  wet,  the  young  birds  are  affected  by 
certain  epidemic  diseases  that  are  difficult  either  to  prevent 
or  cure ;  amongst  the  first  of  these  may  be  mentioned  cold 
or  catarrh,  which  is  generally  caused  by  an  undue  amount 
of  wet  weather  acting  on  birds  enfeebled  by  too  close 
interbreeding,  or  by  errors  in  the  dietary  and  general 
management,  such  as  undue  exposm-e  to  cold  winds.  All 
that  can  be  recommended  in  case  of  the  young  birds  being 
thus  afflicted  is  warm,  dry  shelter,  and  the  addition  of  a  little 
stimulating  food,  as  bread  soaked  in  ale,  and  spiced  with 
any  ordinary  condiment,  such  as  cayenne  or  common  pepper, 
and  the  moistening  of  the  oatmeal,  or  other  soft  food,  with 
a  solution  of  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  of  sulphate  of  iron  in  a 
quart  of  water,  using  enough  to  give  the  meal  an  inky  taste. 

Cold  often  runs  on  to  roup,  in  which  the  discharge  from 

the  nostrils  becomes  purulent  and  infectious  ;    in  this  case, 

the  best  mode  of   treatment  is   to  endeavour  to   stamp  out 

the  disease  by  removing  and  destroying  the  affected  birds 

K  2 


132         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


instantly,  and  so  preventing  their  affecting  others.  In  all 
cases  in  which  birds  are  destroyed  to  prevent  the  spread 
of  any  infectious  disease,  the  greatest  care  should  be  taken 
not  to  leave  the  dead  bodies  exposed.  If  this  be  done, 
the  disease  is  almost  certain  to  extend;  it  has  been  proved 
to  do  so  in  the  case  of  birds  dying  with  tuberculous  livers, 
"gapes,"  and  other  diseases.  The  bodies  should,  if  possible, 
always  be  burned.  If  that  is  impracticable,  they  should 
be  buried  deeply  in  some  part  of  the  ground  where  there 
are  no  fowls  or  pheasants.  Hanging  the  dead  bodies  of 
diseased  birds  in  trees  to  produce  a  supply  of  gentles  is 
exceedingly  objectionable. 

Scrofulous  diseases,  such  as  tubercles  in  the  lungs  and 
liver,  are  the  result  of  breeding  from  weak  stock,  from  over- 
crowding on  the  same  ground,  and  from  close  interbreeding. 
The  remedies  suggest  themselves;  all  that  is  required  is  the 
employment  of  strong,  healthy  stock  birds,  the  removal  to 
fresh  untainted  ground,  and,  if  necessary,  an  introduction 
of  fresh  blood  into  the  aviary  or  preserves. 

The  most  troublesome  and  fatal  disease  known  as  the 
"  gapes,"  is  caused  by  the  presence  of  small  red  worms  in  the 
trachea  or  windpipe.  For  the  first  careful  demonstration  of 
the  cause  of  this  disease  we  are  indebted  to  the  late  Dr. 
Spencer  Cobbold,  who  contributed  the  account  of  its  history 
and  treatment  to  the  Linnasan  Society,  from  which  the 
following  abstract  is  taken  : 

"This  parasite,"  writes  Dr.  Cobbold,  has  been  found 
in  the  trachea  of  the  following  birds,  namely,  the  turkey, 
domestic  fowl,  pheasant,  partridge,  duck,  lapwing,  black 
stork,  magpie,  hooded  crow,  green  woodpecker,  starling, 
sparrow,  martin,  linnet,  crow,  rook,  and  swift. 

"  My  attention  was  recently  directed  to  a  small,  almost 
feathei'less  chicken  suffering  from  the  '  gapes.'  The  bird 
belonged  to  a  brood  between  six  and  seven  weeks  old.  The 
healthy  birds  had  attained  considerable  size,  and  averaged 
9|  ounces  ;  the  infested  chicken  weighed  only  4  ounces;  but. 


TREATMENT  OF  GAPES. 


133 


as  if  to  make  up  for  its  defective  assimilating  powers,  greedily 
devoured  everything  wliicli  came  in  its  way,  consuming  two 
or  three  times  as  much  as  any  other  member  of  the  brood. 

"  The  female  worms  extracted  from  the  trachea  have  an 
-average    length    of    fths    of    an    inch,    the   males    scarcely 


Fig.  1.  SpngaiiiKS trachcalis,ma.\e  and  femnle. 
Natural  size. 

Fig.  2.  Upper  part  of  the  same,  showing 
more  especially  the  six-lobed  circular  lip  of 
the  female,  and  the  mode  of  union.  Enlarged. 

Fig.  3.  Lower  end  of  the  body  of  the  female, 
with  its  mucronate  caudal  appendage,  En- 
larged. 


Fig.  4.  Lower  end  of  the  body  of  the  male, 
showing  the  cup-shaped  bursa,  hard  rays, 
lateral  jnuscles,  digestive  tube,  and  round 
tail.     Magnified  30  diameters. 

Fig.  5.  Mature  egg.  Magnified  220  dia- 
meters. 

Fig.  6.  Egg,  with  contained  embryo.  Mag- 
nified 220  diameters. 


exceeding  ^th  of  an  inch.  In  both  sexes  the  bodies  are 
tolerably  uniform  in  breadth  throughout.  The  mouth  of 
the  female  is  furnished  with  six  prominent  chitinous  lips 
(Fig,  2).  The  male  is  usually  found  fixed  by  means  of  a 
strong  membranous  sucker  (Fig.  4) .  The  eggs  of  Syngamns 
are  comparatively  large,  measuring,  longitudinally,  as  much 


134         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

as  the  l-250tli  of  an  incli  (Fig.  5).  Many  of  the  ova  contain 
fully -formed  embryos.  By  whatever  mode  the  young  make 
their  exit  from  the  shell,  it  is  manifest  that  prior  to  their 
expulsion  they  are  sufficiently  developed  to  undertake  an 
active  migration.  Their  next  habitation  may  occur  within 
the  body  of  certain  insect  larvae  or  even  small  land  mollusks ; 
but  I  think  it  more  likely  that  they  either  enter  the  sub- 
stance of  vegetable  matters  or  bury  themselves  in  the  soil 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  surface." 

Since  the  publication  of  this  paper,  the  history  of  the 
gapeworm  has  been  very  carefully  studied  by  other  observers, 
whose  investigations  have  been  recapitulated  in  Theobald's 
"  Parasitic  Diseases  of  Poultry."  Mr.  Theobald  describes  the 
ova  and  embryos  as  escaping  by  the  rupturing  of  the  female's 
body,  which  takes  place,  as  a  rule,  after  the  worm  has  been 
expectorated  by  the  fowl  or  pheasant.  Both  eggs  and 
embryos,  as  suggested  by  Dr.  Cobbold,  take  up  their  abode 
in  damp  ground,  that  around  the  drinking  vessels  of  the 
fowls  being  a  favourite  locality. 

The  eggs  hatch  in  from  seven  to  forty  days,  according 
as  to  whether  the  surroundings  are  favourable  or  not. 
These  ova  and  embryos  get  taken  up  by  the  young  birds 
either  off  the  ground  or  in  the  water;  they  then  develop 
into  the  worms  in  the  tracheal  region  of  the  fowl.  The 
small  embryo  worms  grow  rapidly,  soon  become  mature, 
and  the  females  unite  permanently  to  the  males.  They  are 
often  spread  by  one  bird  devouring  the  worms  coughed  up 
by  another,  and  they  are  conveyed  from  one  area  to  another 
by  being  carried  by  such  wild  birds  as  the  starling  and 
magpie,  which  are  both  very  largely  infested  with  Sj/ngamus 
trachealis. 

The  theory  that  an  intermediate  host  is  necessary  for  the 
hatching  of  the  ova  has  now  been  entirely  disproved.  Young 
fowls  and  pheasants  quickly  contract  the  disease  when  fed 
on  contaminated  soil  in  which  the  ova  are  present.  Breeding 
pheasants  on  the  same  ground,  as  most  gamekeepers  know. 


TREATMENT  OF  GAPES.  135 

constantly  leads  to  "  gapes,"  and  direct  experiment  has  shown 
that  the  disease  may  be  introduced  in  healthy  chickens  by 
feeding"  them  with  the  worms  or  ova.  The  theory  of  Dr. 
Walker  that  was  published  at  length  in  Nature  of  August 
2nd,  1888,  by  Lord  Walsingham,  that  the  eggs  were  hatched 
in  the  bodies  of  earthworms  which  are  eaten  by  the  young 
pheasants  or  fowls,  has  been  entirely  disproved  by  more 
carefully  conducted  experiments,  as  "  gapes  "  appear  in  fowls 
on  land  where  earthworms  do  not  exist,  and  birds,  such  as 
the  woodpecker,  martin,  and  others,  suffer  from  this  disease 
though  they  do  not  eat  earthworms. 

With  regard  to  the  treatment  of  this  disease,  the  plan 
of  giving  remedies  internally  to  remove  the  worms  is  objec- 
tionable, as  the  medicine  has  to  be  absorbed,  pass  into  the 
blood,  and  act  powerfully  upon  the  body  of  the  bird  before 
its  purpose  can  be  accomplished ;  its  direct  application  to 
the  worms  is  therefore  preferable.  This  may  be  accom- 
plished by  stripping  the  vane  from  a  small  quill  feather, 
except  half  an  inch  at  its  extremity  ;  this  should  then  be 
dipped  in  a  mixture  of  one  part  of  oil  of  turpentine  and 
two  of  olive  oil ;  and  the  chick  being  securely  held  by  an 
assistant,  the  tongue  may  be  drawn  forward  by  catching 
the  barbs  at  its  base  in  a  lock  of  cotton  wool,  and  then 
pulling  it  forward  so  as  to  expose  the  small  opening  of  the 
windpipe,  down  which  the  feather  is  to  be  passed  sufficiently 
far  to  come  into  contact  with  the  worms,  and  then  turned 
round  between  the  thumb  and  finger. 

The  application  at  once  kills  the  parasites,  and  invariably 
excites  a  fit  of  coughing,  during  which  they  are  expelled  : 
this  mode  of  treatment  requires  some  manual  dexterity,  and 
at  times  the  irritation  proves  fatal ;  olive  oil  in  the  place  of 
turpentine  is  sometimes  employed. 

Removing  the  worms  by  a  feather  is  troublesome,  and 
the  operation  is  not  always  successful.  Fumigation  with 
tobacco  smoke  is  rarely  of  much  avail.  The  administration 
of  turpentine    or  camphor  is   attended  with    danger   to   the 


136         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


chickens,  and  opening  the  windpipe  and  extracting  the 
worms  whilst  the  bird  is  under  the  influence  of  chloroform 
requires  surgical  skill. 

Knowing  the  active  influence  of  carbolic  acid  on  the 
lower  forms  of  animal  life,  I  determined  to  try  the  efl'ect  of 
the  inhalation  of  its  vapour  in  the  cases  of  "  gapes  "  that  came 
under  my  notice.  I  have  operated  several  times  on  chickens 
and  turkeys  that  were  sulfering  severely  from  "  gapes/' 
being  almost  choked  by  the  worms.  Each  bird  was  placed 
in  a  small  deal  box,  the  open  top  being  covered  with  a  cloth. 
I  then  took  a  carbolic  acid  fumigator,  consisting  of  a  small 
metal  saucer,  heated  by  a  spirit  lamp.  On  the  saucer  I 
placed  about  a  dozen  drops  of  carbolic  acid,  lit  the  lamp, 
and  put  the  apparatus  in  the  interior  of  the  box.  Dense 
white  fumes  soon  filled  the  box,  and,  being  of  necessity 
respired  by  the  bird,  came  at  once  into  contact  with  the 
worms.  The  operation  was  continued  in  every  case  until 
the  birds  were  in  some  danger  of  suffocation.  They  soon, 
however,  recovered  on  exposure  to  the  air,  and  on  the  day 
following  the  treatment  were  running  about  perfectly  free 
from  any  symptom  of  disease. 

No  special  apparatus  is  required,  as  any  arrangement 
which  will  serve  to  volatilise  a  few  drops  of  the  acid  will 
answer;  the  vapour  of  carbolic  acid  may  be  used  by  putting 
a  hot  brick  into  the  box,  and  pouring  a  few  drops  of  the 
acid  upon  it,  or  it  may  be  volatilised  by  putting  three  or 
four  drops  in  a  spoon,  holding  the  latter  over  the  flame  of 
a  lamp,  and  placing  the  head  of  the  bird  in  the  cloud  of 
rising  vapour.  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  with 
birds  afflicted  with  "  gapes,"  but  have  never  found  any  treat- 
ment equal  to  that  of  fumigation  with  carbolic  acid  vapour. 

In  very  urgent  cases,  when  the  disease  has  so  far  advanced 
that  immediate  suffocation  becomes  inevitable,  the  opening 
of  the  windpipe,  as  adopted  by  Dr.  Cobbold,  may  be  advan- 
tageously had  recourse  to;  or  it  may  be  resorted  to  when 
other   methods    have    failed.      In    the   most    far-gone    cases, 


CRAMP  IN  YOUNG  PHEASANTS.  137 


instant  relief  will  follow  this  operation,  since  the  trachea 
may  with  certainty  be  cleared  of  all  obstructions,  but  unfor- 
tunately it  requires  some  amount  of  medical  and  surgical 
skill  to  administer  the  chloroform  and  perform  the  operation. 

The  most  effectual  check  upon  the  disease  is  the  total 
destruction  of  the  parasites.  If  the  dead  bodies  of  the  birds 
be  thrown  away,  the  mature  eggs  in  the  gapeworms  will  not 
have  sustained  any  injury.  Decomposition  having  set  in,  the 
young  embryos  will  sooner  or  later  escape,  migrate  into  the 
soil  or  elsewhere,  and  ultimately  find  their  way  into  the  air- 
passages  of  birds  in  the  same  manner  as  their  parents  did 
before  them.  The  diseased  birds  ought  to  be  burnt  if  we 
wish  to  avoid  the  spread  of  the  disease. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  early  editions  of  this  book, 
some  exceedingly  important  investigations  into  the  nature  of 
the  diseases  of  young  pheasants  have  been  made  by  Dr.  E. 
Klein.  The  first  of  these  diseases  is  that  known  to  keepers 
under  the  name  of  "  the  cramps."  This  occasionally  causes 
great  mortality  amongst  young  birds,  attacking  them  usually 
during  the  second  or  third  week.  It  is  described  by  Dr. 
Klein  as  commencing  Avith  lameness  in  one  leg.  The  next 
day  the  other  becomes  lame,  and  the  bird  sits  motionless,  and 
Avhen  made  to  move  drags  both  limbs  along  the  ground. 
Death  generally  occurs  on  the  third  day.  On  examination 
after  death,  the  thigh-bone  (the  femur),  or  that  of  the  leg 
(the  tibia),  or  both,  will  be  found  soft,  and  in  advanced  cases 
broken,  sometimes  with  great  extravasation  of  blood  into  the 
surrounding  tissues.  The  fracture  generally  occurs  near  the 
ends  of  the  bone,  whether  that  of  the  thigh  or  the  leg. 
Microscopic  examination  shows  that  the  interior  of  the  bone 
is  highly  inflamed,  the  result  of  the  presence  of  bacilli,  which, 
as  in  other  infectious  diseases,  can  be  spread  from  one  bird  to 
another. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  is  very  simple.  The  moment 
it  is  recognised  the  young  birds  should  be  destroyed  and 
burned.     AVlien    this    is    acted   on,   at  the  beginning   of  the 


138         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

epidemic,  it  may  prevent  its  further  infection;  but  it  is 
possible  that  the  microbe  may  exist  in  the  ground,  from 
which  it  finds  an  entrance  into  the  system  of  the  birds.  This 
view  is  very  possibly  the  case,  as  experienced  keepers  know 
that  "cramps"  occur  when  the  coops  are  kept  on  damp  soil, 
and  that  when  removed  to  higher  dry  ground  the  disease  dies 
out. 

In  a  subsequent  communication  to  the  Field  in  the 
following  year,  Dr.  Klein  says  :  "  I  still  attribute  the  cramp 
disease  to  a  bacilliary  infection  of  the  system  of  the  bird 
leading  to  corrosion  and  fracture  of  the  bones." 

Other  epidemic  infectious  diseases  affect  young  pheasants, 
carrying  them  off  at  times  in  large  numbers.  The  most 
important  of  these  is  one,  the  origin  of  which  is  generally 
unsuspected  amongst  pheasant  rearers,  it  arising  from  the 
farmyard  hens  which  are  used  as  hatchers  and  foster-mothers. 

Dr.  Klein  gave  a  very  careful  account  of  this  disease  in 
the  columns  of  the  Field.     He  wrote  as  follows : 

"  I  had  the  opportunity  of  investigating  the  disease  in  one 
of  the  eastern  counties,  where  on  one  estate  several  hundreds 
of  young  pheasants  became  affected  and  died.  The  symptoms 
are  these  :  The  young  birds,  generally  less  than  six  weeks 
old,  show  either  at  one  or  both  the  angles  of  the  mouth,  on 
one  or  both  eyelids,  on  the  feet,  sometimes  also  on  the 
abdomen,  some  patches  of  various  sizes  and  outlines,  at  first 
red  and  slightly  elevated  or  swollen,  then  becoming  yellowish- 
grey  and  dry  and  necrotic.  When  the  eyelids  are  involved 
(which  is  the  case  in  a  large  percentage)  the  birds  appear 
blind,  owing  to  the  lids  being  more  or  less  closed ;  where  the 
feet  are  also  affected  (which  in  a  large  pei-centage  is  the  case) 
the  birds  are  weak  and  slow  in  walking,  they  limp  also. 
When  the  mouth  is  affected  they  cannot  feed,  and  therefore 
waste  and  soon  die ;  the  same  result  occurs  when  the  eyelids 
become  closed  by  the  disease.  In  the  large  majority  of  fatal 
cases  the  affection  involves  one  or  both  eyelids  and  the 
mouth;  but  in  these  cases  also  one  or   both   legs   show  the 


SKIN  DISEASE  IN  YOUNG  PHEASANTS.  139 


disease  in  numerous  necrotic  patches  of  the  skin.  The  disease 
is  a  cutaneous  affection^  and  does  not  involve  the  deeper 
parts ;  on  the  legs  the  bones  are  unaltered,  and  there  is 
no  distinct  visceral  disease  anywhere  to  be  discovered  by  the 
naked  eye  inspection.  Under  the  microscope  in  the  earlier 
stages,  the  true  skin  is  much  inflamed,  its  vessels  much 
congested,  and  the  blood  in  them  in  stasis  ;  the  tissue  of  the 
skin  is  much  infiltrated  with  inflammatory  cells.  Soon  the 
whole  inflamed  parts  begin  to  break  down  into  a  necrotic 
debris;  the  area  of  necrosis  gradually  enlarges,  but  is  always 
surrounded  by  primary  inflammatory  change.  This  affection 
is  therefore  a  true  progressive  necrosis  of  the  skin. 

"  From  a  careful  investigation,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  disease  is  contagious,  and  further,  that  the  first  cases  of 
disease  amongst  the  young  pheasants  are  due  to  infection  by 
the  same  necrotic  disease  of  the  hens  used  for  rearing.  It 
ought  to  be  stated  that  hens — fowls  in  general — are  subject 
to,  and  not  unfrequently  affected  with,  an  infectious  disease, 
which  shows  itself  as  necrotic  degeneration  of  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  mouth  and  throat,  and  also  of  the  skin 
around  the  mouth  occasionally,  but  not  often,  also  of  the 
abdomen  and  chest.  From  inquiries  which  I  instituted  among 
the  keepers,  I  feel  convinced  that  in  this  pai-ticular  locality  of 
Suffolk  the  disease  amongst  the  young  pheasants  was  thus 
introduced,  viz.,  by  some  diseased  hens  used  for  the  rearing. 
It  is  obvious  that  if  one  hen  is  affected  with  the  disease, 
the  little  pheasants  that  she  is  rearing  are  sure  to  contract  it 
also,  and  these  when  affected,  soon,  in  their  turn,  scatter  the 
contagium  over  different  parts  of  the  field.  When  a  hen  is 
affected  on  the  skin  of  the  abdomen  and  chest,  or  when  she 
has  the  disease  in  the  mouth,  sufficient  of  the  contagium 
becomes  available  for  the  infection  of  the  whole  of  her  brood, 
which  during  the  first  weeks  she  is  habitually  covering  with 
her  body.  From  this  it  follows  that  the  means  to  be  adopted 
in  order  to  exclude  the  disease  from  the  pheasants  at  the 
outset   are   very    simple,  viz.,  carefully  select    the    hens    for 


140         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


rearing.  Tliey  must  be  tliorouglily  examined  before  the 
hatching  of  the  pheasants  commences.  The  mouth  and 
throat  particularly,  the  skin  of  the  abdomen  and  chest,  must 
be  healthy ;  where  there  is  a  sign  of  cutaneous  necrotic 
disease,  easily  distinguishable  as  thick,  dry,  greyish-yellow, 
friable  deposits,  the  hen  must  be  rejected.  I  know  from 
inquiry  that  nothing  in  the  shape  of  a  careful  selection 
actually  occurs.  Keepers  take  the  hens  wherever  they  can 
get  them  ;  they  borrow  them,  buy  them  anywhere,  or  breed 
them.  Sometimes  they  have  the  disease  amongst' their  own 
poultry  stock ;  but  there  is  no  attention  paid  to  the  healthy 
condition  of  the  hens  selected  for  rearing  purposes.  Apart 
from  the  losses  amongst  the  pheasants  by  the  disease,  the 
fact  that  this  disease  is  not  uncommon  amongst  fowls,  causes, 
in  some  farms,  considerable  losses  amongst  the  poultry  itself. 
There  is  only  one  way  of  getting  rid  of  the  disease — that  is, 
stamping  out. 

"^^  When  once  an  animal — be  it  fowl  or  pheasant — shows 
signs  of  the  disease,  it  ought  to  be  safely  removed.  When 
in  any  field  where  pheasants  are  reared  the  disease  has  made 
its  appearance  amongst  the  young  birds,  the  hens  ought  to 
be  carefully  inspected,  and  the  diseased  hens  and  diseased 
pheasants  removed.  Those  that  are  not  affected  ought  to  be 
placed  on  new  ground.  A  field  where  the  disease  has  been 
rife  should  not  be  used  again  for  a  year  or  two,  and  care 
should  be  taken  that  some  disinfection  be  undertaken — e.g., 
quicklime  scattered  over  the  field.  But  I  feel  sure  that,  it  at 
the  outset  no  diseased  hen  is  admitted  for  the  rearing,  the 
disease  will  not  make  its  appearance  amongst  the  pheasants  ; 
for  the  hens  seem  to  me  to  be  the  prime  cause.^' 

We  are  also  indebted  to  Dr.  Klein  for  the  first  accurate 
description  of  a  very  fatal  epidemic  disease  which  attacks 
fowls  in  overcrowded  poultry-runs,  and  from  them  is  apt  to 
extend  to  pheasant  coverts.  This  disease  is  termed  by  Dr. 
Klein ybw?  enteritis,  or  the  "Orpington  disease,^'  inasmuch  as 
"  one  well-known  dealer    had    on    his   poultry  farm,  then  at 


ENTERITIS  IN  PHEASANTS.  141 


Orpington^  in  Kent,  in  about  two  acres  of  land,  a  fatal 
epidemic  of  fowls,  by  which  he  lost,  between  March,  1888, 
and  March,  1889,  over  400  birds." 

He  further  states  the  disease  to  be  highly  infectious,  as 
the  evacuations  of  the  diseased  fowls  are  scattered  about  on 
the  ground,  contaminating  the  food  which  is  picked  up  by 
the  others,  and  rapidly  spreads  amongst  the  entire  flock. 
The  symptoms  are  severe  purging  of  yellow  evacuations, 
and  the  fowl  is  found  dead  in  one  or  two  days.  The  disease 
can  only  be  checked  bv  the  immediate  removal  of  the  un- 
infected birds  from  the  tainted  ground,  which  should  be 
disinfected  with  quicklime,  or  still  better,  gaslime,  and  well 
turned  over.  Every  infected  fowl  should  be  at  once  taken 
away  and  destroyed,  and  the  body  burnt,  not  thrown  on  the 
ground,  where  the  germs  of  the  disease  (bacilli)  can  spread. 
There  should  be  no  attempt  at  treatment  even  of  the  most 
valuable  birds,  and  no  chickens  should  be  reared  uor  fresh 
stock  placed  on  the  tainted  soil. 

Some  time  since  I  received  with  a  dead  pheasant  the 
following  letter,  showing  how  readily  this  fatal  epidemic  may 
spread  from  an  overcrowded  poultry -run  into  the  coverts. 
The  writer  says  : 

"  I  am  sending  you  with  this  a  3"oung  pheasant  which  has 
been  attacked  with  a  disease  that  has  unfortunately  destroyed 
a  large  number  of  birds  which  were  placed  in  the  w^oods  in  a 
perfectly  healthy  condition.  It  is  the  general  opinion  that 
the  birds  have  been  affected  by  a  poultry  farm  which  is  on 
the  estate,  as  the  fowls  were  known  to  be  dying  in  large 
quantities  from  a  similar  disease." 

On  examination  I  found  this  bird  affected  with  every 
symptom  of  fowl  enteritis.  The  intestines  showed  redness  in 
the  mucous  membrane,  in  the  CEecal  appendages  there  was  a 
great  amount  of  mucus,  the  spleen  and  liver  were  enlarged, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  bacteria,  or  microbes  causing 
the  disease,  could  have  been  cultivated  if  it  had  been  thought 
necessary  to  do  so.     There  cannot  be  the  slightest  doubt  that 


142         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

the  disease  affecting-  these  pheasants  was  contracted  from 
the  fowls  on  the  poultry  farm  on  the  estate^  where  they  were 
dying  in  large  quantities.  The  writer  asks  for  a  remedy. 
The  researches  of  Dr.  Klein,  and  the  experience  of  those  avIio 
have  endeavoured  to  rear  large  numbers  of  pheasants  or 
poultry  on  tainted  ground,  point  to  but  one  remedy,  the 
destruction  of  the  affected  birds ;  and  as  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  destroy  the  bacilli  in  the  tainted  ground,  over  :i, 
large  extent  of  covert,  the  rearing  of  pheasants  should  only 
take  place  on  fresh  and  untainted  ground  the  following  year. 

It  is  important  to  note  that  this  fowl  enteritis  infects  other 
gallinaceous  birds,  and  that,  as  in  the  present  case,  pheasants 
on  overcrowded  grounds  and  those  reared  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  crowded  poultry  runs  are  liable  to  be  attacked  Avith 
the  disease. 

The  moral  to  be  drawn  from  these  valuable  researches  of 
Dr.  Klein  is  obvious.  These  infectious  diseases  are  spread  by 
the  endeavour  to  rear  pheasants  and  fowls  on  overcrowded 
and  consequently  tainted  ground. 

The  remedy  is  the  destruction  by  cremation  of  all  the 
infected  stock,  the  removal  of  those  that  are  not  diseased,  and 
above  all,  the  rearing  of  the  poults  on  fresh  pure  ground. 

Pheasants  hatched  under  farmyard  hens  are  not  uu- 
frequently  liable  to  what  are  known  as  scurfy  legs.  I'lie 
description  of  this  objectionable  disorder  I  may  quote  from 
my  volume  on  "  Table  Poultry '' : 

"  Scurfy  legs  depend  on  the  presence  of  minute  parisites 
{8arcoptes  mutans),  which  live  under  the  scales  of  the  legs 
and  upper  part  of  the  toes,  where  they  set  up  an  irritation, 
causing  the  formation  of  a  white,  powdery  matter,  that  raises 
the  scales  and  forms  rough  crusts,  which  sometimes  become 
very  large.  When  these  crusts  are  broken  off  and  examined 
with  a  microscope,  or  even  a  good  hand  lens,  they  will  be 
found  to  be  filled  with  the  female  parasites,  generally  distended 
with  eggs.  The  crust  itself  may  be  compared  to  the  crumb 
of  dry  Ijread ;  but  the  parasites  are  to  be  found  only  in  those 


SCURFY  LEGS  IN  PHEASANTS. 


143 


parts  which  are  kept  moist  by  the  skin.  They  appear  to 
cause  great  irritation  to  the  bird. 

'"^This  disease  is  propagated  by  infection.  It  is  seen  in 
fanciers'  yards  where  the  poultry  are  closely  confined  together. 
The  disease  has  been  found  affecting  turkeys,  pheasants, 
partridges,  and  even  small  birds  in  aviai-ies. 

"  The  treatment  in  fowls  is  very  simple.  The  legs  may  be 
soaked  in  warm  water,  and  the  crusts  removed,  and  the  legs 
washed  with  carbolic  soft  soap,  as  made  for  dogs ;  and  the 
coops,  nesting-places,  perches,  all  cleansed  with  limewash, 
scented  with  carbolic  acid.     Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to 


Scurfy  Leg  Parasite 

(Sarcoptes  mutans). 

Magnified  100  diameters. 


Female,  distended. 


employ  as  mothers  any  hens  affected  with  the  disease.  If  a 
Cochin  or  other  hen  in  the  slightest  degree  affected  with 
scabies  is  employed,  it  is  obvious  that,  as  young  birds  are 
covered  by  her,  the  parasites  can  readily  pass  from  her  to  the 
chicken,  and  the  disease  becomes  disseminated." 

The  late  Mr.  Home,  of  Hereford,  a  most  practical 
pheasant  rearer,  wrote  a  letter  to  me  on  the  subject,  in  which 
he  states : 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  birds  hatched  under  Asiatic 
mothers  (feather  legged)  are  most  prone  to  these  insects.  I 
have  tried  sulphur  ointment,  vaseline,  glycerine,  &c.,  but  none 


144         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIABIES. 

were  certain  cures.  At  last  I  was  told  that  common  paraffin 
would  speedily  effect  a  cure.  At  that  time  I  had  a  young  bird 
(six  months  old)  a  perfect  cripple — knots  on  his  joints  like 
nuts.  I  at  once  applied  the  paraffin,  pouring  it  well  over  the 
legs;  in  a  week  there  was  a  great  improvement,  and  after  two 
or  three  apph cations  the  bird  became  perfectly  well.  Since 
that  time  I  have  cured  many.  I  generally  apply  it  once  in  a 
week  or  ten  days.  I  lind  the  Versicolors  and  Reeves  are  the 
most  liable  to  the  disease,  and  do  not  remember  having  ever 
seen  a  case  of  it  on  the  Gold.'" 

Disease  of  the  ovary,  attended  by  the  assumption  of  male 
plumage  by  the  female  pheasant,  is  a  phenomenon  that  has 
long  attracted  the  attention  of  naturalists.  It  was  described 
by  John  Hunter  in  his  "Animal  Economy,"  and  in  the 
"  Philosophical  Transactions,"  vol.  Ixx.,  p.  527,  and  also  by 
the  late  Mr.  Yarrell.  Although  gamekeepers  frequently 
speak  of  the  hens  thus  changed  in  attire  under  the  title  of 
mule  birds,  it  is  now  perfectly  well  known  that  the  assump- 
tion of  male  plumage  is  invariably  caused  by  disease  of  the 
ovary,  and  the  birds  exhibiting  this  change  are,  without 
any  exception,  always  barren  and  useless  females,  not,  how- 
ever, necessarily  old  birds,  as  the  change  of  plumage  may 
result  from  ovarian  disease  in  a  hen  that  has  not  laid.  The 
change  takes  place  to  a  varying  extent,  usually  beginning 
with  a  slight  alteration  of  the  neck  feathers.  Jn  some  cases 
it  is  absolutely  entire;  the  hen  being  clothed  in  perfect 
mascviline  plumage,  not  a  single  feather  of  the  body  remaining 
unchanged.  This  singular  modification  is  not  confined  to 
the  common  pheasant,  but  extends  doubtless  to  the  whole 
group.  It  is  recorded  as  occurring  in  the  Silver  Pheasant 
{Eit'ploc.amus  nycthemerus)  in  the  Field  of  Nov.  13,  1869,  and, 
thanks  to  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Leno,  I  had  in  my  possession 
a  Golden  Pheasant  hen  [Thaumalea  picta)  in  which  the  meta- 
morphosis was  complete.  Mr.  Leno  had  had  this  bird  in 
his  possession  for  some  years,  and  had  noticed  the  alteration 
increasing  at  each  annual  moult.     A  corresponding  alteration 


DISTENTIOX  BY  AIR.  145 

lias  been  frequently  observed  in  the  female  of  the  domestic 
fowl,  and  it  is  not  even  confined  to  gallinaceous  birds,  being 
not  unfrequent  in  the  domestic  duck.  That  disease  of  the 
ovary  should  cause  the  formation  of  feathers  totally  distinct, 
not  only  in  colour,  but  in  form,  from  those  previously  pro- 
duced (as  is  most  conspicuously  the  case  of  the  tippet  of  the 
Golden,  or  tail  of  the  Silver  Pheasant)  is  a  very  remarkable 
circumstance,  and  one  that  has  not  yet  received  a  satisfactory 
phj'siological  explanation. 

A  correspondent  writing  to  me  from  Argyllshire  for- 
warded the  body  of  a  young  pheasant,  in  which  the  skin 
was  distended  to  an  enormous  extent  with  air.  The  cir- 
cumference of  the  neck  immediately  behind  the  head  was 
5in.,  at  the  base  of  the  neck  7in.,  and  round  the  body 
lOin.  No  other  evidence  of  disease  was  perceptible  on 
post  mortem  examination.  The  bird,  an  early  hatched 
one,  was  in  very  good  plumage,  having  already  moulted 
two  of  the  primary  wing  feathers.  My  correspondent 
stated  that  his  keeper  found  several  birds  in  the  same  con- 
dition. The  bird,  when  alive,  was  in  the  same  bloated  con- 
dition as  when  forwarded. 

The  case  was  not  one  of  disease,  but  accident.  From  some- 
cause  or  other  one  of  the  air  cavities  which  pervade  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  the  bodies  of  all  birds,  and  even  extend 
into  the  bones,  had  become  ruptured,  and  the  air  during  the- 
breathing  of  the  bird  had  escaped  under  the  skin,  distending 
it  to  the  extent  described.  This  rupture  of  an  air  cell  might 
have  arisen  spontaneously  or  from  some  injury.  In  either 
case  it  was  not  necessarily  fatal.  If  the  keeper  had  made  one 
or  two  small  punctures  of  the  skin  at  different  parts  of  the 
body,  the  air  would  have  escaped,  and  the  bird  in  all 
probability  would  have  recovered ;  but  it  was  so  distended 
that  it  could  not  even  feed  itself,  and  the  crop  and  intestines,, 
although  perfectly  healthy,  were  destitute  of  food.  Such 
cases  are  not  very  uncommon,  but,  as  they  usually  arise  from 
accident,  it  is  remarkable  that  in  this  case  several  should  have 

L 


146       PHEASANTS  FOB    COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

occurred  amongst  the  birds  in  one  locality.  The  cases  are 
usually  perfectly  isolated. 

It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  large  numbers  of  young 
pheasants  die  of  mysterious  ailments,  the  causes  of  which 
are  very  difficult  to  determine.  When  they  have  been 
ascertained,  they  have  not  unfrequently  been  traced  to  some 
injurious  substances  that  have  been  taken  as  food.  In  one 
case  that  came  under  my  notice,  the  destructive  agent  was 
sheep ^s  wool.  A  correspondent  wrote,  stating  that  during 
six  weeks  he  lost  upwards  of  300  young  pheasants  from  no 
apparent  cause,  but  that  subsequently  he  received  a  letter 
from  his  gamekeeper,  who  wrote  : — "  I  have  found  out  the 
cause  of  the  pheasants  dying.  The  farmer  kept  his  sheep 
so  long  upon  that  piece  of  ground  before  I  had  the  use  of 
it,  that  the  sheep  lost  a  lot  of  wool,  and  my  young  birds 
have  swallowed  it.  I  have  opened  forty  or  fifty  young 
birds,  and  found  the  gizzards  quite  full  of  wool,  and  the 
passage  stopped  up,  so  that  food  could  not  pass.  I  send 
you  four  pieces  of  wool,  which  I  have  taken  from  the  gizzards 
of  four  different  birds.  I  never  had  a  better  lot  of  young 
birds.  They  hatched  off  strong  and  well,  and  now  I  have 
lost  nearly  all  of  them." 

It  is  probable  that  the  sheep  might  have  been  dressed 
with  some  arsenical  or  other  poisonous  ''  dip "  or  "  wash," 
which  would  remain  on  the  wool  and  prove  fatal  to  the  young 
birds.  The  arsenical  solution  known  as  "  weed-killer "  is 
not  unfrequently  fatal  to  pheasants  in  pleasure  grounds;  it 
kills  the  worms  and  grubs  that  are  near  the  surface  of  the 
paths,  and  these  are  eaten  by  the  pheasants  with  fatal  effect. 

With  regard  to  injurious  substances  taken  as  food,  it  is 
unquestionable  that  pheasants  are  sometimes  destroyed  by 
eating  yew;  but  it  is  singular  that  the  precise  conditions 
under  which  they  are  poisoned  have  not  been  ascertained. 
The  poisoning  of  animals  from  eating  these  leaves  is  so 
well  known  that  damages  have  been  claimed  and  obtained, 
after  an  appeal  to  the  higher  courts,  by  persons  who   have 


POISONING  BY   YEW  LEAVES.  147 

lost  cattle  J  horses,  or  sheep,  in  consequence  of  the  branches 
of  yew  trees  being  allowed  to  hang  over  fences,  or  the  cutting 
of  hedges  being  thrown  upon  the  ground.  In  conjunction 
with  the  late  Professor  Tuson,  of  the  Veterinary  College,  I 
investigated  the  poisoning  of  pheasants  by  yew  leaves  several 
years  ago.  The  action  of  the  poisonous  leaves  in  producing 
inflammation  of  the  intestines  was  so  well  marked  that  there 
could  be  no  possible  doubt  of  the  cause  of  death ;  but  the 
circumstances  that  lead  well-fed  pheasants  to  eat  yew  leaves 
on  some  occasions,  and  not  to  touch  them  on  others,  are 
difficult  of  explanation.  The  poisoned  birds  that  I  have 
examined  have  always  been  highly  nourished,  extremely  fat, 
and  in  good  condition,  and,  so  far  from  being  hungry,  their 
crops  in  many  instances  have  been  filled  with  maize. 

Some  few  years  ago  Lieut.  F.  Stuart  Wortley,  then 
working  at  the  Agricultural  College,  Downton,  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  Times  in  which  he  described  a  number  of  experiments 
])erformed  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  the  amount  of  the 
poisonous  principle  known  as  taxine  in  the  leaves  of  the 
male  and  female  yew  respectively.  His  experiments  definitely 
proved  that  taxine  exists  in  a  much  larger  quantity  in  the 
leaves  of  the  male  than  in  those  of  the  female  yew.  If  this 
taxine  is  the  active  principle,  his  experiments  tend  to  prove 
that  only  the  male  yew  is  poisonous,  but  I  am  not  aware 
whether  any  further  experiments  have  been  since  made  on  the 
subject.  It  would  be  very  desirable  that  some  observer  who 
has  the  opportunity  should  ascertain  by  actual  experiments 
whether  there  is  any  difference  in  the  action  of  the  leaves 
of  the  male  and  those  of  the  female  yew  when  given  to 
pheasants  or  other  animals.  This  could  be  readily  accom- 
plished by  mixing  the  leaves  of  the  two  trees  with 
ground  meal,  and  administering  it  to  pheasants  in  captivity. 
The  information  thus  obtained  would  be  very  valuable, 
inasmuch  as  if  it  were  found  that  the  leaves  of  the  female 
yew  were  not  poisonous,  it  would  lead  to  their  being  safely 
planted  in  coverts  and  places  accessible  to  animals.  A  great 
L  2 


148        PHEASANTS  FOB   CO  VESTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

deal  of  the  doubt  and  uncertainty  wliicli  prevails  respecting 
the  poisoning  of  animals  by  yew  may  possibly  depend  upon 
the  relative  amount  of  poison  contained  in  the  leaves  of  the- 
two  sexes  of  this  plant.  It  is  well  known  that  children  often 
gather  and  eat  the  waxy  covering  of  the  berries  of  the  yew 
without  injury,  consequently  in  that  part  of  the  plant  there- 
can  be  no  amount  of  this  bitter  principle  known  as  taxine. 
The  whole  matter  requires  a  little  more  careful  investigation,, 
and  offers  a  very  interesting  subject  of  experiment  to  any 
person  with  the  opportunity  at  his  disposal. 

Another  frequently  unsuspected  cause  of  death  in  pheasants, 
is  the  habit  they  acquire  of  picking  up  and  swallowing  shot 
when  in  coverts  that  are  much  shot  over.  Mr.  J.  Hindle 
Calvert,  F.C.S.,  made  the  following  communication  to  the- 
Field  in  1876,  and  his  inferences  have  been  since  amply 
confirmed  by  myself  and  others  who  have  made  post-mortemi 
examinations  in  similar  cases.  Mr.  Calvert  wrote: — "The 
following  cases  of  lead  poisoning  in  pheasants  may  be  of 
interest  to  those  who  have  large  pheasant  preserves.  A 
gamekeeper  brought  me  for  inspection  a  hen  pheasant  whick 
was  partially  paralysed  in  the  legs,  and  low  in  condition. 
On  killing  the  same  and  opening  the  gizzard  I  found  thirteen 
leaden  pellets  of  various  sizes ;  the  grinding  action  of  the- 
gizzard  had  disseminated  the  lead  with  the  food,  and  the 
bird  was  surely  but  safely  undergoing  the  slow  process  of' 
lead-poisoning.  This  was  very  evident  on  applying  the 
usual  chemical  tests,  as  I  readily  detected  lead  dissolved  in 
the  food,  and  also  traces  in  the  blood  taken  from  the  region- 
of  the  heart.  Two  days  after  this  the  gamekeeper  brought 
another  live  bird.  This  one  had  been  in  a  sickly  condition 
for  two  or  three  weeks,  and  was  quite  emaciated.  The  legs 
were  paralj^sed,  and  the  feet  drawn  in  a  similar  manner  tO' 
the  drop-hand,  when  lead  has  been  the  cause  of  poisoning  in 
the  human  subject.  On  opening  the  gizzard  I  found  four- 
pellets,  so  that  there  is  little  doubt  that  this  bird  would  sooni 
have  died  from  the  effects  of  lead-poisoning. 


POISONING  BY  LEAD   SHOT.  149 

"^I  understand  last  year  some  score  of  pheasants  died 
in  the  same  preserve,  all  of  them  showing  symptoms  same 
as  above  related.  Both  years  the  poisoning  happened  after 
the  coverts  had  been  shot  through.  No  doubt  the  birds 
pick  up  the  pellets  under  the  delusion  of  being  either  food 
or  grains  of  sand  ;  perhaps  the  latter.  When  the  birds  died 
last  year  the  cause  of  death  was  attributed  to  there  being 
too  many  left  for  breeding  purposes;  rather  a  strange  reason, 
seeing  that  the  birds  had  been  decimated  on  the  shooting  day. 

''  Others  may  have  experienced  something  similar  to  the 
above,  without  being  able  to  give  a  satisfactory  reason  for 
the  birds  dying;  but  where  you  have  paralysed  limbs  and 
a  gradual  falling  off  in  condition,  and  should  this  happen 
some  weeks  after  the  covert  has  been  shot  through,  then  you 
may  suspect  that  lead-poisoning  is  a  probable  cause.^' 


CHAPTER   X. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    COVERT. 


THE   COMMON   PHEASANT    {PHASIANU8 
COLCEICUS). 

I' HE  plieasants  which  are  best  adapted  to  the  coverts 
in  England,  the  United  States  of  America,  Australia, 
and  other  temperate  climates,  are  undoubtedly  those 
which  belong  to  the  restricted  genus  Phasianus,  or 
as  so  many  term  them,  the  true  pheasants.  Formerly 
there  was  but  one  distinct  species  or  race  known  in 
Europe,  that  which  is  named  the  P.  colchicns,  from  its  having 
being  received  from  the  banks  of  the  Eiver  Colchis  in  Asia 
Minor.  This  was  followed  by  the  ring-necked  P.  torquatus 
from  China,  and  subsequently  by  the  P.  versicolor  from 
Japan.  These  were  originally  regarded  by  naturalists  as 
perfectly  distinct  species,  but  it  is  now  known  that  they  breed 
freely  with  one  another,  and  that  the  oif spring  are  perfectly 
fertile,  however  intimately  they  are  interbred.  The  late 
Henry  Seebohm,  who  paid  great  attention  to  the  birds  of 
this  group,  writing  in  the  Ihis  for  1887,  said : 

"  The  fact  that  all  true  pheasants  interbreed  freely  wuth 
each  other  and  produce  fertile  offspring,  may  be  accepted  as 
absolute  proof  that  they  are  only  subspecifically  distinct 
from  each  other.  Like  all  other  sab-species,  they  only  exist 
upon  sufferance.  The  local  races  appear  to  be  distinct 
enough,  but  they  only  retain  their  distinctive  character  as 
long  as  they  are  isolated  from  each  other.     The  moment  they 


k 


THE  COMMON  PHEASANT.  151 

are  brought  into  contact  they  begin  to  interbreed  ;  crosses  of 
every  kind  rapidly  appear,  and  in  a  comparatively  short  time 
the  swamping  effects  of  interbreeding  reduce  the  two  or 
more  local  races  which  have  been  brought  into  contact  to  a 
single  and  uniform  intermediate  race.  Such  swamping 
effects  of  interbreeding  have  practically  stamped  out  in  the 
British  Islands  the  two  very  different  looking  races  of 
pheasants  which  were  introduced  into  them — Phasianus 
colcMcus  from  Asia  Miuor,  and  Phasianus  torquatus  from 
China.  The  pheasant  of  the  British  Islands  is,  with  very 
rare  exceptions,  only  a  mongrel  between  these  two  races,  but^ 
it  must  be  admitted,  a  very  healthy  and  fertile  one." 

The  intermingling  of  the  several  races  in  the  course  of 
ages,  and  the  isolation  of  the  different  breeds  in  the  valleys 
and  river  systems  of  Asia,  have  given  rise  to  numerous  sub- 
species which  are  found  spread  over  that  vast  continent. 
The  spread  of  scientific  investigation  is  continually  disclosing 
new  pheasants,  which  it  pleases  the  discoverers  to  regard  a& 
distinct  species,  but  which  are  obviously  only  mixed  races. 
Mr.  D.  Gr.  Elliot,  writing  in  1872,  enumerated  about  a  dozen. 
Mr.  Seebohm,  in  the  Ihis  for  1887,  described  six  as  sub- 
species of  P.  colcliicus  (three  of  which  were  not  recognised 
by  Mr.  Elliot).  These  are  P.  'principalis  from  North 
Afghanistan  ;  P.  persicus,  which  Mr.  Elliot  regards  as  the 
same  as  P.  sitaivi;  and  P.  chrysomelas,  which  he  regards  as 
identical  with  P.  insignis.  In  the  following  volume  (1888) 
Mr.  Seebohm  enumerates  seven  races,  of  which  the  Chinese 
P.  torquatus  may  be  regarded  as  the  type ;  of  these  two, 
P.  vlangali  and  P.  sfraucha,  are  not  described  by  Elliot.  Of 
the  others,  the  most  strongly  marked  is  the  Japanese  P.  versi- 
color, which  appears  to  me  to  be  the  most  distinct  and  typical 
of  all  the  true  pheasants. 

In  his  work  on  Game  Birds,  Mr.  Ogilvie  Grant  enumerates 
eighteen  species,  and  to  these  have  been  added  three  others 
by  Mr.  Dresser  and  the  Hon.  Walter  Rothschild,  as  recorded 
at  page  22  of  the  present  volume. 


152        PHEASANTS  FOR   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


It  would  be  but  a  tedious  and  most  unprofitable  waste  of 
time  to  enter  into  the  consideration  of  these  numerous  breeds 
of  pheasants  which  the  species-mongers  have  raised  to  the 
dignity  of  distinct  species  ;  suffice  to  sa}'  they  are  all  perfectly 
fertile,  inter  se,  as  are  their  progeny  to  any  extent.  It  may 
please  closet  naturalists  to  classify  them^  not  knowing  how 
easily  they  may  be  bred,  and  to  give  them  specific  names 
after  their  friends,  which  has  been  done  in  several  instances. 
But  the  naming  a  variety  as  a  new  species  because  it  has  a 
slight  variation  in  its  plumage,  has  little  interest  for  practical 
men. 

In  the  following  pages  the  more  typical  breeds  will  be 
described,  and  their  numerous  varieties  treated  as  allies. 

In  commencing  the  description  of  the  different  pheasants 
adapted  to  the  covert,  the  common  species  [Phnsianus  col- 
chicus)  claims  the  first  place,  as  it  is  more  generally 
distributed  and  better  known  than  any  of  the  more  recent 
introductions.  Although  not  equalling  some  of  them  in  size, 
or  gorgeousness  of  plumage,  it  is  by  many  sportsmen  pre- 
ferred in  consequence  of  its  rapid  flight  and  active  habits. 
It  is,  however,  only  in  the  remote  districts  of  the  country 
that  it  is  now  to  be  found  in  a  state  of  purity,  as  the  intro- 
duction of  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  races  has  given  rise 
to  so  many  cross-bred  varieties  that  in  many  districts  a  purely- 
bred  P.  colchicus  is  a  rarity. 

Lord  Lilford,  in  "  The  Birds  of  Northamptonshire,"  writing 
-of  the  common  pheasant,  says  : — "  Although  it  is  now  difficult 
to  find  pure-bred  specimens  of  this  species,  on  account  of 
the  frequent  crossings  with  the  Chinese  Ring-necked  Pheasant 
(P.  torquatus)  and  other  species,  we  do  occasionally  meet  with 
birds,  especially  in  the  large  woodlands  of  the  northern 
division  of  Northamptonshire,  Avhich,  by  their  small  size, 
the  absence  of  any  trace  of  the  white  collar,  which  is  so 
conspicuous  in  the  Chinese  bird,  and  the  intense  blackness 
of  the  plumage  of  the  lower  belly,  present  the  characteristics 
of  the  true  unadulterated  species.'^ 


THE  COMMON  PHEASANT.  153 

In  the  district  of  the  Humber  we  were  informed  by  the  late 
Mr.  John  Cordeaux  that  "  the  pure  old  breed  untainted  by 
any  cross  is  now  seldom  to  be  met  with,  excepting  in  a  few 
localities  furthest  removed  from  the  great  centres  of  game 
preserving.  With  these  few  exceptions,  our  resident  birds 
are  a  mixed  race,  exhibiting  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  the 
cross  between  the  old  English  bird  and  the  Ring-neck 
(P.  torquatus)."  This  statement  is  equally  true  of  all  the 
well-preserved  districts  of  England,  in  many  of  which  the 
varieties  are  still  more  complex  in  consequence  of  the  intro- 
duction of  the  Japanese  species  ( P.  versicolor) . 

Under  these  circumstances,  I  have  thought  it  desirable 
to  quote  the  description  of  the  common  pheasant  from  the 
first  volume  of  Macgillivray's  "  British  Birds,"  1837,  inas- 
much as  the  author's  descriptions  are  unrivalled  for  their 
accuracy  and  attention  to  detail,  and  at  the  date  at  which 
it  was  published  the  common  species  had  not  in  Scotland 
been  crossed  with  any  of  the  more  recent  importations. 

The  following  is  Macgillivray's  description  of  the  two 
sexes  of  P.  colchicus  : — 

"  Male. — The  legs  are  stronger ;  the  tarsi,  which  are  stout 
and  a  little  compressed,  have  about  seventeen  plates  in  each 
of  their  anterior  series.  The  first  toe,  which  is  very  small, 
has  five,  the  second  twelve,  the  third  twenty -two,  the  fourth 
nineteen  scutella.  The  spur  on  the  back  of  the  tarsus  is 
conical,  blunt,  and  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long. 

"^The  feathers  of  the  upper  part  of  the  head  are  oblong 
and  blended,  of  the  rest  of  the  head  and  the  upper  part  of 
the  neck  imbricated  and  rounded,  of  the  fore-neck  and  breast 
broad,  slightly  emarginate  or  abruptly  rounded ;  of  the  back 
broad  and  rounded,  of  the  rump  elongated,  with  loose 
filaments;  of  the  sides  very  long,  of  the  abdomen  downy, 
of  the  legs  soft  and  rather  short.  Directly  over  the  aperture 
of  the  ear  is  a  small  erectile  tuft  of  feathers.  The  wings 
are  short,  very  broad,  curved,  rounded,  of  twenty-four  quills ; 
the  primaries   attenuated  from   near  the  base,  rounded,  the 


154        PHEASANTS  FOB    COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

third  and  fourtli  longest,  the  first  equal  to  the  seventh  :  the 
secondaries  broad,  rounded,  and  little  shorter  than  the 
primaries.  The  tail  is  very  long,  slightly  arched,  remarkably 
cuneate  or  tapering,  of  eighteen  tapering  feathers,  of  which 
the  lateral  are  incurved,  the  central  straight.  Four  pairs  of 
the  longest  tail  feathers  are  concave  above  towards  the  end, 
or  channelled. 

''The  bill  is  pale  greenish -yellow,  the  nasal  membrane 
light  brown  or  flesh-coloured.  The  bare  papillar  patch  on 
the  side  of  the  head  is  scarlet,  in  parts  approaching  to 
arterial  blood-red,  or  at  some  seasons  crimson.  The  eyelids- 
are  flesh-coloured,  the  iris  yellow.  The  feet  are  light  grey 
tinged  with  brown,  the  claws  light  chocolate  brown. 

"  The  feathers  of  the  upper  part  of  the  head  are  deep 
brownish-green,  w4th  yellowish  marginal  filaments.  The 
upper  part  of  the  neck  is  deep  green  behind,  laterally  and 
anteriorly  greenish-blue  and  purplish-blue.  The  lower  part 
of  the  neck  is  reddish-orange,  anteriorly  tinged  with  purple ; 
the  breast  and  sides  brownish-yellow  ;  each  feather  terminally 
margined  with  purplish-blue,  the  dark  margin  indented  in 
the  middle,  but  the  indentation  gradually  diminishing  on 
the  breast.  The  middle  of  the  lower  part  of  the  breast  is 
blackish-brown,  glossed  with  green,  the  margins  of  the 
feathers  being  of  the  latter  colour.  The  fore  part  of  the 
back  is  yellowish-red,  each  feather  slightly  margined  -^ith 
black,  and  having  a  central  oblong  spot  of  the  same.  The 
scapulars  are  redder,  with  a  slight  black  tip,  the  central 
part  dull  yellow  mottled  with  dusky,  margined  with  a  black 
band.  On  the  middle  of  the  back  the  feathers  are  some- 
what similarly  variegated,  with  additional  spots  of  light  blue 
and  purple.  Those  on  the  rump  are  of  a  deep  red,  with 
green  and  greyish  tints.  The  inner  wing-coverts  are  similar 
to  the  scapulars,  but  edged  externally  with  dark  red,  the 
outer  yellowish-grey,  variegated  with  whitish  and  dusky. 
The  quills  are  light  brownish-grey,  variegated  with  pale 
greyish-j^ellow ;  the  secondaries  more  tinged  with  brown  on 


Jl    / 


THE   COMMON  PHEASANT.  155. 

the  outer  edges.  The  tail  is  dull  greenish-yellow^  variegated 
with  yellowish-grey,  the  feathers  with  narrow  transverse 
bars  of  black,  a  broad  longitudinal  band  of  dull  red  on  each 
side,  the  loose  margins  red,  glossed  with  green  and  purple. 
On  the  abdomen  and  legs  the  feathers  are  dull  greyish- 
brown;  under  the  tail  variegated  with  reddish.  The  lower 
surface  of  the  wing  is  yellowish-grey. 

''  Length  to  end  of  tail  34  inches  ;  extent  of  wings  32  ; 
wing  from  flexure  10;  tail  18^;  bill  along  the  back  lyV^ 
along  the  edge  of  upper  mandible  l-j^;  tarsus  3^%-;  first 
toe  xVj  its  claw  ^V;  second  toe  l^\,  its  claw  yV;  third 
toe  2^,  its  claw  yV ;  fourth  toe  Ix^a,  its  claw  4y  twelfths. 

"  Of  three  other  individuals,  the  length  34,  35,  36  inches. 

"  Female. — The  female  is  similar  in  form  to  the  male,  but 
with  the  tail  much  shorter.  The  bill  and  feet  require  no 
particular  description.  The  anterior  scutella  of  the  tarsus 
are  about  seventeen  in  each  row;  the  first  toe  has  five,  the 
second  fifteen,  the  third  twenty-two,  the  fourth  eighteen.  As 
in  the  male,  there  is  a  bare  space  under  the  eye,  but  scarcely 
papillar,  and  more  feathered.  The  feathers  of  the  upper  part 
of  the  head  are  somewhat  elongated ;  those  of  the  rest  of  the 
head  short;  of  the  neck  and  body  oblong  and  rounded;  of 
the  rump  not  elongated  as  in  the  male. 

"  The  general  colour  of  the  upper  parts  is  grejnsh-yellow, 
variegated  with  black  and  yellowish-brown ;  the  top  of  the 
head  and  the  hind-neck  tinged  with  red.  The  wing-coverts 
are  lighter;  the  quills  pale  greyish-brown,  mottled  with 
greyish-yellow,  as  in  the  male.  The  tail  is  yellowish-grey, 
minutely  mottled  with  black,  and  having  in  place  of  transverse 
bars,  oblique  irregular  spots  of  black,  centred  with  a  pale 
yellow  line.  The  lower  parts  are  lighter  and  less  mottled, 
the  throat  whitish,  and  Avithout  spots.  The  bill  is  horn- 
coloured,  tinged  with  green ;  the  tarsi  wood-brown,  the  toes, 
darker,  the  claws  of  the  same  tint. 

"'Length  26  inches;  extent  of  wings  30;  wing  from 
flexure  9j  :  tail  IH;  bill  along  the  back  1^  ;  tarsus  2^;  first 


156        PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

toe  \,  its  claw  -5^  ;  second  toe  l^,  its  claw  xV ;  third  toe  lyf , 
its  claw  yV  ;  fourth  toe  lyV;  its  claw  yV-" 

Several  well-marked  and  perfectly  permanent  varieties  of 
this  species  are  not  uncommon.  One  of  the  best  known  is 
the  so-called  Bohemian  pheasant^  in  Avliich  the  entire  plumage 
is  much  less  glossy,  the  general  ground-colour  being  of  a 
creamy  tint ;  the  head,  neck,  and  spangliogs  on  the  breast 
and  tail  showing  the  dark  markings  in  varying  degrees  of 
intensity  in  different  specimens.  The  appearance  of  this 
variety  is  admirably  given  in  the  engraving.  The  Bohemian 
pheasant  is  occasionally  produced  from  the  common  form  in 
different  localities,  the  variation  is  hereditary,  and  may  be 
propagated  by  careful  selection  of  brood  stock.  Thus  Steven- 
son, in  his  "  Birds  of  Norfolk,"  informed  us  that  in  that 
county,  like  certain  light  varieties  of  the  common  partridge, 
they  are  confined  to  particular  localities  : — "  They  have  been 
found  in  different  seasons  in  some  coverts  at  Cranmer;  and 
in  the  autumn  of  1861  I  saw  three  fine  examples  killed,  I 
believe,  in  Mrs.  Hardcastle's  preserves  at  Hanworth,  near 
Cromer,  one  of  which,  even  in  its  abnormal  plumage,  showed 
a  decided  relationship  to  the  Ring-necked  cross  by  the  white 
mark  on  either  side  of  the  neck " — a  circumstance  also 
noticed  by  Macgillivray. 

A  purely  white  variety  of  the  common  pheasant  occa- 
sionally occurs  in  the  coverts  without  any  apparent  cause.  A 
correspondent,  who  has  been  a  pheasant  rearer  for  thirty 
years,  writes  : — "  Four  years  ago  a  nest  of  thirteen  eggs  was 
brought  in  by  the  mowers.  All  the  eggs  were  hatched ; 
eleven  were  perfectly  white  birds,  the  other  two  the  common 
•colour.  Nine  of  the  white  birds  were  reared — six  cocks  and 
three  hens ;  three  cocks  were  turned  out,  the  others  were 
kept  in  the  pheasantry,  pinioned.  The  white  pheasants 
proved  very  bad  layers — very  delicate,  their  eggs  very  bad ; 
and  those  that  were  hatched  very  difficult  to  rear,  and  there 
never  was  a  white  bird  bred.  The  extraordinary  thing  is, 
that  where  the  nest  was  taken   up   the   keepers   had   never 


THE  COMMON  PHEASANT.  157 


before  or  since  seen  a  white  pheasant.  The  three  cocks 
turned  out  never  (to  my  knowledge  or  the  keeper's)  were  the- 
cause  of  white  pheasants  or  pied  pheasants  being  bred^  and 
the  three  all  disappeared  in  the  second  year.  On  another 
part  of  my  estate  a  white  cock  pheasant  was  bred ;  he  was 
considered  a  sacred  bird,  and  lived  seven  years,  when  he 
disappeared.  In  the  covert  he  resorted  to  I  killed  one  pied 
pheasant,  and  I  believe  that  one  bird  was  the  only  pied 
pheasant  (if  bred  through  him)  that  ever  was  seen."  By 
careful  breeding  there  is  no  doubt  that  a  permanent  white 
race  might  be  established  if  such  a  proceeding  were  thought 
desirable,  which  I  much  doubt,  as  white  varieties  are 
generally  very  deficient  in  hai'dihood.  Left  to  them- 
selves, the  white  cocks  are  doubtless  driven  away  from 
the  hens  by  the  stronger  and  more  vigorous  dark  birds, 
and  rarely  increase  their  kind.  When  mated  in  pheasantries 
the  natural  colour  has  a  strong  tendency  to  reproduce  itself  ; 
but  white,  or  even  pied  or  parti-coloured  birds,  are  not  always 
to  be  produced  from  white  parents,  as  the  following  letters 
will  show  : — "  On  the  manor  of  a  friend  in  Yorkshire  are  a 
cock  and  hen  pheasant  entirely  and  purely  white.  They 
inhabit  different  woods,  and  are  strenuously  protected  by  the 
head  keeper,  who  considers  their  presence  a  proof  of  the- 
integrity  of  his  coverts,  and  invariably  requests  strangers  to- 
spare  them.  There  are  also  a  few  ring-necks  in  the  coverts, 
which  have  bred  so  freely  with  the  common  sort  that  hardly 
a  cock  pheasant  is  killed  but  shows  some  marks  of  white- 
about  his  neck,  while  pied  birds  are  so  rare  that  the  few 
that  have  been  shot  have  been  preserved.  If,  then,  white 
pheasants  breeding  with  ring-necks  and  other  birds  produced,, 
as  a  rule,  pied  birds,  why  should  there  not  have  been  every 
year  at  least  one  brood  of  pied  pheasants  in  these  woods  in 
the  same  proportion  as  the  half-bred  ring-necks  ?  "  Another 
correspondent  writes : — "  A  white  hen  was  confined  in  the- 
pheasantry  here  for  some  years  with  a  common  pheasant,  but 
of  the  progeny  there  was   not  one  pied  bird.     A  pied  cock 


158        PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 

was  then  confined  with  a  common  hen  pheasant,  and  there 
were  a  few  of  the  chicks  pied.  Lastly,  a  pied  cock  and  a  pied 
hen  were  confined  together,  and  invariably  every  one  of  the 
chicks  was  pied.  I  have  tried  the  experiment  frequently 
with  the  same  results."  And  a  third  states  : — "I  deny  that 
the  cross  between  the  white  and  common  pheasant  will 
.produce  pied,  when  both  are  pure  bred.  I  have  tried  the 
cross  in  confinement  for  years,  and  never  produced  one  pied 
bird  from  it;  and  before  the  pied  breed  were  introduced 
into  the  preserves  here,  we  had  an  abundance  of  white  cocks 
and  white  hens,  and,  believing  at  that  time  that  the  pied  was 
the  result  of  a  cross  between  the  white  and  common  pheasant, 
I  used  to  watch  the  nides  of  every  white  hen,  and  was 
surprised  that  in  no  instance  was  there  one  pied  chick,  though 
some  were  white." 

The  explanation  of  the  difficulty  of  breeding  pied  birds 
from  a  white  and  a  coloured  parent,  and  the  ease  with  which 
ring-necks  are  produced  and  perpetuated,  is  soon  given. 
Ring-necks  are  derived  more  or  less  directly  from  the 
P.  torquatus,  a  permanent  race,  that  has  a  strong  tendency  to 
reproduce  its  like ;  but  white  and  pied  birds  are  merely 
accidental  variations,  and  not  even  a  thoroughly  established 
breed,  and  therefore  are  not  prepotent  in  propagating  their 
like,  but  have  a  strong  tendency  to  throw  back  to  the 
stock  from  which  they  were  derived. 


CHAPTEPt  XL 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


THE    CHENESE    PHEASANT    {PHASIANUS 
TORQUATUS). 

ONSUL   SWINHOE,  Mr.  Dudley  E.  Saurin,  P^re 

-jj|i^w!r'     David,  Prjevalski,  and  other  naturalists   wlio  have 

Jjjl^"  investigated   the    fauna   of    the    Chinese    empire, 

$h}     unite    in    confirming    the    belief    that    this    pheasant 

Y^       [P.  torquatus)  is  the  most   common  species  in   China, 

*1        abounding   in    vast    numbers    in   the  hill  coverts  and 

cotton    fields.     Mr.    Saurin    states:    ''The    common    Chinese 

pheasant  is  found  everywhere  in  the  north  of  China,     I  am 

not    aware   how  much    further    south  they    are   found   than 

Shanghai ;  but  in  that  neighbourhood,  since  the  devastation 

of  the  country  by  the  Tai-pings,  they  are  shot  by  hundreds. 

Thousands  are  brought  down  to  the  Pekin  market  in  a  frozen 

state  by  the   Mongols,  from  as  far  north  as  the  Amour.     At 

the   new  Eussian  port   of   Poussiet,    conterminous  with   the 

Corea,  the  same  pheasant  abounds.     I  myself  have  seen  them 

wild  in  the  Imperial  hunting  grounds  north  of  Jehol,  and  in 

the  mountains  near  Ku-peh-kow.'^ 

Cousul  Swinhoe  says  that  it  is  very  common  near  Hankow, 
and  at  all  the  places  that  have  been  visited  by  Europeans 
north  of  the  Yangtze.  Formosa  swarms  with  these  birds ; 
the  specimens  found  there,  however,  differ  from  those  of  the 
typical  race  by  having  the  ochreous   feathers  on  the  flanks 


160        PHEASANTS   FOB   COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 


exceedingly  pale,  and  by  some  writers  this  local  variety  lias- 
been  described  as  a  distinct  species  under  the  name  of 
P.  fvrmosanus. 

The  characters  of  the  pure-bred  Chinese  P.  torqnatus  were 
given  in  minute  detail  by  the  late  Mr.  Grould,  in  his  mag- 
nificent folio,  ''  The  Birds  of  Asia/'  They  are  as  follows  : — 
I "  The  male  has  the  forehead  deep  green ;  crown  of  the  head 
fawn  colour,  glossed  with  green ;  over  each  eye  a  conspicuous 
streak  of  buffy  white  ;  the  naked  papillated  skin  of  the  orbits 
and  sides  of  the  face  deep  scarlet  or  blood  red,  interspersed 
beneath  the  eye  with  a  series  of  very  minute  black  feathers  >  • 
horn-like  tufts  on  each  side  of  the  head ;  throat  and  neck  rich 
deep,  shining  green,  with  violet  reflections ;  near  the  base  of 
the  neck  a  conspicuous  collar  of  shining  white  feathers,  narrow 
before  and  behind,  and  broadly  dilated  at  the  sides ;  the- 
feathers  of  the  back  of  the  neck  black,  with  a  narrow  mark 
of  white  down  the  centre  of  the  back  portion  J  and  a  large 
lengthened  mark  of  ochreous  yellow  within  the  edge  of 
each  web  near  the  tip ;  the  feathers  of  back  and  scapu- 
laries  black  at  the  base,  with  a  streak  of  white  in  the- 
middle,  then  buff  surrounded  with  a  distinct  narrow  band 
of  black,  to  which  succeeds  an  outer  fringe  of  chesnut ; 
feathers  of  the  back  black,  with  numerous  zigzag  and 
crescentic  marks  of  buffy  white  ;  lower  part  of  the  back, 
rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts  light  green?  of  various  shades, 
passing  into  bluish-grey  at  the  sides,  below  which  is  a 
mark  of  rufous;  breast  feathers  indented  at  the  tip,  of  a 
rich  reddish  chesnut,  with  purple  reflections,  and  each 
bordered  with  black ;  flanks  fine  buff,  with  a  large  angular 
spot  of  beautiful  violet  at  the  tip;  centre  of  the  abdomen 
black,  with  violet  reflections ;  under  tail  coverts  reddish 
chesnut ;  wing  coverts  silvery-grey ;  wings  brown,  the 
primaries  with  light  shafts,  and  crossed  with  narrow  bars, 
of  light  buff;  the  secondaries  similar,  but  not  so  regularly 
marked  as  the  primaries  ;  tail  feathers  olive,  fringed  with 
different  shades  of  reddish    violet,   and    crossed    at    regular 


TEE  CHINESE  PHEASAXT.  161 

intervals  witli  broad,  conspicuous  black  bands,  passing  into 
reddish-brown  on  tbe  sides  of  the  basal  portion  of  the  six 
central  feathers;  bill  yellowish-horn  colour;  irides  yellow; 
feet  greyish- white.  /  The  female  has  the  whole  of  the  upper 
surface  brownish-black,  with  a  margin  of  buff  to  every  feather ; 
the  throat  whitish,  and  the  central  portion  of  the  under 
surface  fawn  colour;  flanks  mottled  with  brown;  tail  buff, 
barred  with  dark  brown,  between  which  are  other  interrupted 
bars  of  the  same  hue.  These  marks  are  broader  on  the  two 
central  feathers  than  on  the  others,  and,  moreover,  do  not 
reveal  the  edge  on  either  side." 

The  specific  name  torquatus  is  derived  from  torquis,  a 
chain  or  collar  worn  around  the  neck.  This  species  was 
introduced  into  England  a  great  many  years  since,  long- 
before  the  time  of  Latham,  who  described  it  as  having  been 
turned  out  in  preserves  on  many  estates.  No  birds  could  be 
better  adapted  for  our  coverts ;  being  natives  of  a  cold  part 
of  China,  they  are  very  hardy — a  character  which  they 
display  by  laying  early  in  the  season,  and  by  producing  an 
abundant  supply  of  eggs.  The  pure  Chinese  is  a  bird  of 
bold  flight,  rising  through  the  covert  with  great  quickness, 
and  then  pursuing  a  swift,  straight  course.  It  is  unquestionabh' 
a  most  ornamental  addition  to  our  game  birds,  being  valuable 
not  only  for  the  beauty  of  its  plumage,  but  also  for  the  delicacy 
of  its  flesh.  The  breed  is,  however,  kept  in  a  state  of  absolute 
purity  with  some  difl&culty,  as  the  males  are  apt  to  wander  to 
"  fresh  woods  and  pastures  new."  Hence  crosses  between  it 
and  the  common  species  are  very  prevalent ;  these  constitute 
what  are  usually  called  the  ring-necked  pheasants.  These 
cross-bred  birds  are  perfectly  fertile,  not  only  with  either  pure 
race,  but  also  inter  se.  They  are,  however,  variable  in  plumage, 
the  amount  of  white  in  the  neck  varying  from  four  or  five 
feathers  to  a  nearly  complete  circle,  and  the  feathers  on  the 
flanks  being  intermediate  between  the  beautiful  spotted  bufl" 
of  the  pure  Chinese  and  the  dark  colour  of  the  common  bird. 
These  ring-necks  are  now  common  in  most  parts  of  the  country 


162        PHEASANTS  FOB    COVERTS  AND   AVIARIES. 

where  pheasants  are  preserved.  The  good  points  of  the 
Chinese  are  largely  shared  by  their  half-bred  progeny  ;  hence 
the  cross  between  the  common  and  the  Chinese  is  a  valuable 
introduction  to  our  preserves,  retaining  as  it  does  to  so  great 
a  degree  the  beauty  and  early  fertility  of  the  pure  Chinese 
race,  to  which  it  adds  great  hardihood  and  larger  size,  but  the 
birds  are  generally  regarded  as  more  apt  to  stray,  and  some 
gourmets  maintain  they  are  not  quite  so  good  a  bird  on  the 
table  as  the  pure-bred  P.  colchicus. 

The  extent  to  which  the  interbreeding  of  the  two  species 
has  taken  place  is  well  shown  in  the  following  interesting, 
account  taken  from  Stevenson's  "  Birds  of  Norfolk  "  : — "  In 
its  semi-domesticated  state,  like  our  pigeons  and  poultry, 
the  common  pheasant  crosses  readily  with  its  kindred  species, 
and  to  so  great  an  extent  has  this  been  carried  in  Norfolk 
that,  except  in  the  wholly  unpreserved  districts,  it  is  difficult 
at  the  present  time  to  find  a  perfect  specimen  of  the  old 
English  type  (P.  colchicus)  without  some  traces,  however 
slight,  of  the  ring-neck,  and  other  marked  features  of  the 
Chinese  pheasant  (P.  torguatus) ,  and  in  many  localities  of  the 
Japanese  (P.  versicolor) .  In  looking  over  a  large  number  of 
pheasants  from  different  coverts,  as  I  have  frequently  done  of 
late  years  in  our  fish  market,  I  have  noticed  every  shade  of 
difference  from  the  nearly  piire-bred  ring-neck,  with  its  buff- 
coloured  flanks  and  rich  tints  of  lavender,  and  green  on  the 
wing  and  tail-coverts,  to  the  common  pheasant  in  its  brilliant 
but  less  varied  plumage,  with  but  one  feather  in  its  glossy 
neck  just  tipped  with  a  speck  of  white.  Some  birds  of  the 
first  cross  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  true  P. 
torquatus,  and  are  most  gorgeous  objects  when  flushed  in  the 
sunlight  on  open  ground ;  but  as  the  '  strain  '  gradually  dies 
out,  the  green  and  lavender  tints  on  the  back  begin  to  fade, 
and  the  rich  orange  flanks  are  toned  down  by  degrees ;  though 
still  the  most  marked  feature  of  all,  the  white  ring  on  the 
neck,  descends  from  one  generation  to  another,  and  the 
hybrid  origin  of  the  bird  is  thus  apparent  long  after  every 


■Ife 


THE  CHINESE  PHEASANT.  163 

other   trace    of    its    mixed    parentage    has    entirely    passed 
away/' 

The  Chinese  pheasant  has  been  introduced  into  several 
parts  of  the  globe  with  success.  The  rapidity  of  its  increase 
in  New  Zealand  has  already  been  noticed.  As  long  since  as 
the  year  1513  it  was  acclimatised  in  the  island  of  St.  Helena 
under  very  peculiar  circumstances_,  as  related  by  Brookes  in 
his  history  of  the  island.  Fernandez  Lopes,  having  deserted 
from  the  army  of  A.  Albuquerque  at  Goa,  was  exiled,  along 
with  a  number  of  negroes,  and  banished  to  St.  Helena,  being 
supplied  with  roots,  seeds,  poultry,  and  pheasants  for  turning 
out.  These  were  of  the  species  now  under  consideration. 
Berries  and  seeds  being  abundant  in  the  island,  the  birds 
became  wild,  throve  amazingly,  and  on  the  visit  of  Captain 
Cavendish  in  1588  he  found  them  in  great  abundance  and 
admirable  condition.  In  1875  we  are  informed,  in  Melliss's 
"  St.  Helena,"  that  they  still  exist  abundantly,  and  quite 
maintain  the  characteristics  mentioned  by  Cavendish.  They 
are  protected  by  game  laws,  which  permit  them  to  be  killed, 
on  payment  of  the  licences,  for  six  weeks  in  the  summer  or 
autumn  of  each  year,  and  hundreds  of  them  are  generally 
killed  during  one  shooting  season.  They  find  plenty  of 
covert,  and  generally  make  their  nests  in  the  long  tufty  fields 
of  cow-grass  [Paspalum  scrobiculatum) ." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Chinese  or  ring-necked 
species  has  remained  in  its  purity  at  St.  Helena.  Ships  going 
to  India  via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  the  olden  time  did  not 
sail  within  a  thousand  miles  of  St.  Helena;  but,  taking 
advantage  of  the  trade  winds,  they  went  direct  to  the  coast 
of  South  America,  often,  indeed,  calling  at  Rio,  and  then 
struck  straight  away  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  aided  by  the 
return  trade  wind.  It  was  on  the  return  from  India  that  the 
Island  of  St.  Helena  was  visited,  and  letters  from  England  to 
the  island  went  via  the  Cape.  Under  these  circumstances, 
the  introduction  of  a  colchian  pheasant  to  the  island  is 
exceedingly  improbable,  and  that  of  a  Japanese  out  of  the 
M  2 


164         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

question.  Witli  regard  to  the  alteration  in  plumage  pro- 
duced by  an  exposure  to  these  new  conditions  for  373  years, 
it  must  be  confessed  that  they  are  remarkably  insignificant. 
There  is  the  same  glossy,  shining  green  of  the  head  and  neck, 
the  white  ring  completely  surrounding  the  neck,  the  pale 
greenish  tail  and  wing  coverts,  but  the  breast  and  flanks  are 
less  distinctly  spangled,  the  under  parts  being  of  a  more 
uniform  red. 

The  slight  change  in  the  plumage  is  doubtless  owing  to 
the  influence  of  a  change  of  climate  acting  through  many 
generations,  added,  perhaps,  by  a  change  of  diet.  We  are 
informed  by  Mr.  J.  English  Torbett  that  the  ripe  seeds  of  the 
Calla  setJiiopica,  so  common  as  a  greenhouse  plant  in  this 
country,  are  much  sought  after  by  the  pheasants  in  St. 
Helena,  and  that  it  forms  a  large  portion  of  their  food. 

Closely  allied  to  the  ordinary  Chinese  pheasant  is  a  bird 
which  has  been  described  as  a  distinct  species  by  Consul 
Swinhoe,  under  the  title  of  the  Eingless  Chinese  Pheasant 
(P.  decollatus).  It  was  obtained  by  him  at  Chung-king-foo, 
in  Szechuen,  and  a  somewhat  similar  bird  was  procured 
by  Pere  David,  at  Moupin,  near  the  Thibetan  boundary.  I 
cannot  regard  these  birds  as  anything  more  than  mere  local 
varieties  of  the  ordinary  Chinese  species,  and  must  refer 
those  who  wish  to  trace  the  slight  distinctions  between  them 
to  Mr.  Elliot's  "  Phasianidge,"  in  which  they  are  figured.  In 
the  same  magnificent  folio  will  be  found  engravings  of  the 
Yarkand  Pheasant  (P.  insignis),  and  Shaw's  Pheasant 
(P.  shawii)  ;  both  closely  allied  to  the  common  Chinese 
species,  if  not  merely  to  be  regarded  as  geographical  varia- 
tions from  it.  Neither  are  known  in  a  living  state  in  Europe, 
and  consequently  do  not  require  detailed  notice  in  the  present 
work. 


CHAPTEE  XII. 


PHEASANTS  ADAPTED  TO  THE  COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


1 


THE   JAPANESE   PHEASANT    {PHA8IANUS 
VERSICOLOR). 

■^  APAN,  among  the  numerous  objects  of  interest  with 
which  it  has  furnished  Europe^  has  supplied  us 
with  the  most  gorgeous  of  the  true  pheasants — 

P,  versicolor.     It  is  doubtful,  indeed,  whether  any  of 
r        the  gallinaceous  group,  magnificent  as  many  of  them 

are,  can  surpass  this   bird  in  resplendent  brilliancy. 

The  wonderful  dark  grass  green  of  the  breast,  that  no 
painter  can  equal,  the  dark  blue  of  the  neck,  and  the  brilliant 
scarlet  of  the  face,  taken  together,  constitute  one  of  the  most 
effective  combinations  of  colour  to  be  found  in  the  whole 
class  of  birds.  This  splendid  addition  to  the  fauna  of  Great 
Britain  was  utterly  unknown  in  a  living  state  in  Europe  sixty 
years  since.  In  1840  a  few  birds  were  brought  to  Amsterdam 
from  Japan.  Uf  these  a  pair  passed  into  the  possession  of 
the  Earl  of  Derby.  Of  this  pair  the  female  died,  and  the 
breed  was  established  by  crossing  the  male  wich  several 
females  of  the  ordinary  species,  and  then  pairing  the  half- 
bred  progeny  with  the  old  male,  and  continuing  the  breeding 
back  until  the  offspring-  were  no  longer  capable  of  being 
distinguished  from  the  original  bird. 

At  the  death  of  the  Earl  the  Knowsley  collection  came  to 
the  hammer.     A  number  of  the  versicolor  pheasants,  including 


166        PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

the  original  bird,  were  purchased  by  Prince  Demidoff  for  his 
preserves  in  Italy,  and  others  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Mr.  J.  J.  Gurney,  of  Norwich,  by  whom  they  were  intro- 
duced into  the  preserves  of  that  county.  Since  that  period 
other  specimens  have  been  imported,  and  at  the  present  time 
the  P.  versicolor  is  established  as  a  denizen  of  many  of  our 
preserves. 

In  form,  habits,  and  disposition  the  P.  versicolor  corre- 
sponds closely  to  our  common  pheasants.  As  a  game  bird 
it  is,  both  in  the  covert  and  on  the  table,  of  undeniable 
excellence. 

As  the  bird  crosses  freely  both  with  the  common  and  the 
Chinese  species,  it  is  desirable  to  give  an  accurate  and 
detailed  description  of  its  plumage.  For  this  purpose  I  shall 
again  have  recourse  to  Mr.  Gould's  "  Birds  of  Asia,"  and 
reproduce  his  elaborate  description  of  the  two  sexes  : — 

"  The  male  has  the  forehead,  crown,  and  occiput  purplish 
oil  green ;  ear  tufts  glossy  green ;  chin,  throat,  and  sides  and 
back  of  the  neck  glossy  changeable  bluish  green ;  back  of 
the  neck,  breast,  and  under  surface  deep  shining  grass  green, 
with  shades  of  purple  on  the  back  of  the  neck  and  upper  part 
of  the  breast ;  feathers  of  the  back  and  scapularies  chesnut, 
with  buft'y  shafts  and  two  narrow  lines  of  buff  running  round 
each,  about  equi-distant  from  each  other  and  the  margin ; 
lower  part  of  the  back  and  upper  tail  coverts  light  glaucous 
grey;  shoulders  and  wing  coverts  light  greenish  grey,  washed 
with  purple  ;  primaries  brown  on  the  internal  web,  toothed 
with  dull  white  at  the  base ;  outer  web  greyer  and 
irregularly  banded  with  dull  white  ;  tertiaries  brown,  freckled 
with  grey,  and  margined  first  with  greenish  grey  and  then 
with  reddish  chesnut ;  centre  of  abdomen  and  thighs  blackish 
brown  ;  tail  glaucous  grey,  slightly  fringed  with  purplish, 
and  with  a  series  of  black  marks  down  the  centre,  opposite  to 
each  other  at  the  base  of  the  feathers,  where  they  assume  a 
band-like  form  ;  as  they  advance  towards  the  tip  they 
gradually  become  more   and   more  irregular,  until  they  are 


THE  JAPANESE  PHEASANT.  167 

arranged  alternately,  and  in  the  like  manner  gradually 
increase  in  size  ;  on  the  lateral  feathers  these  marks  are  much 
smaller,  and  on  the  outer  ones  are  entirely  wanting,  those 
feathers  being  covered  with  freckles  of  brown ;  orbits  crimson 
red,  interspersed  with  minute  tufts  of  black  feathers  ;  eyes, 
yellowish  hazel ;  bill  and  feet  horn  colour. 

"  Compared  with  the  female  of  the  common  pheasant,  the 
hen  of  the  present  bird  has  all  the  markings  much  stronger, 
and  is  altogether  of  a  darker  colour.  She  has  the  whole  of 
the  upper  surface  very  dark  or  blackish  brown,  each  feather 
broadly  edged  with  bulf,  passing  in  some  of  the  feathers  to  a 
chesnut  hue ;  those  of  the  head,  and  particularly  those  of  the 
back,  with  a  small  oval  deep  spot  of  deep  glossy  green  close 
to  the  tip  ;  primaries  and  secondaries  light  brown,  irregularly 
barred  with  buff,  and  with  buffy  shafts;  tertiaries  dark 
brown,  broadly  edged  with  buff  on  their  inner  webs,  and 
mottled  with  dull  pale  chesnut  on  the  outer  web,  the  edge  of 
which  is  buff" ;  tail  dark  brown,  mottled  with  buff,  and  black 
on  the  edges,  and  crossed  by  narrow  irregular  bands  of  buff, 
bordered  on  either  side  with  blotches  of  dark  brown ;  on 
the  lateral  feathers  the  lighter  edges  nearly  disappear, 
and  the  bands  assume  a  more  irregular  form ;  throat  buff; 
all  the  remainder  of  the  under  surface  buff,  with  a  large 
irregular  arrowhead-shaped  mark  near  the  top  of  each 
feather ;  thigh  similar,  but  with  the  dark  mark  nearly 
obsolete." 

The  habits  of  the  Japanese  pheasant  in  its  native  country 
were  first  described  by  Mr.  Heine,  the  naturalist  attached  to 
the  American  expedition  to  Japan,  and  the  following  obser- 
vations by  him  were  published  in  Commodox'e  Perry's  "  Japan 
Expedition  "  : — "  After  the  treaty  of  Yokohama  had  been 
concluded  the  United  States  squadron  proceeded  to  Simoda. 
A  friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives  was  established,  and 
I  constantly  availed  myself  of  Commodore  Perry's  kind 
permission  to  make  additions  to  our  collections  in  natural 
history.     One  morning,  at  dawn  of  day,  I  shouldered  my  gun 


168         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


and  lauded  in  search  of  specimens  of  birds,  and  that  day  had 
the  good  fortune  to  see,  for  the  first  time,,  the  versicolor 
pheasant.  The  province  Idza,  at  the  southern  extremity  of 
which  the  port  of  Simoda  is  situated,  forms  a  long  neck  of 
land  extending  from  the  island  of  Niplion,  in  a  southerly 
direction,  and  is  throughout  mountainous,  some  of  the 
mountains  being  from  4000  to  5000  feet  high.  The  valleys 
are  highly  cultivated,  presenting  in  the  spring  a  most 
luxurious  landscape.  The  tops  of  the  mountains  and  hills  are 
in  some  places  composed  of  barren  rocks,  and  in  others 
covered  with  grass  and  shrubs,  producing  an  abundance  of 
small  berries.  Between  those  higher  regions  and  the  fields 
below  the  slopes  are  covered  with  woods,  having,  for  the 
greater  part,  such  thick  undergrowth  that  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  peneti'ate  them.  Following  the  beautiful  valley, 
at  the  outlet  of  which  the  town  of  Simoda  stands,  for  about 
four  miles,  I  came  to  a  place  where  the  Simoda  creek  divides 
into  two  branches.  Selecting  the  eastern  branch,  I  soon  left 
fields  and  houses  behind  me,  and,  ascending  through  a  little 
gulley,  I  emerged  from  the  woods  into  the  barren  region.  It 
was  yet  early  in  the  morning ;  clouds  enveloped  the  peaks 
and  tops  of  the  hills  ;  the  fields  and  woods  were  silent,  and 
the  distant  sound  of  the  surf  from  the  seashore  far  below 
rather  increased  than  lessened  the  impression  of  deep  solitude 
made  upon  me  by  the  strange  scenery  around. 

'^  The  walk  and  ascent  had  fatigued  me  somewhat ;  I  had 
laid  down  my  gun  and  game-bag,  and  was  just  stopping  to 
drink  from  a  little  spring  that  trickled  from  a  rock,  when,  not 
ten  yards  from  me,  a  large  pheasant  arose  with  loud  rustling- 
noise,  and  before  I  had  recovered  my  gun,  he  had  disappeared 
over  the  brow  of  a  hill.  1  felt  somewhat  ashamed  for  allowing 
myself  thus  to  be  taken  so  completely  aback ;  but,  noticing 
the  direction  in  which  he  had  gone,  I  proceeded  more 
carefully  in  pursuit.  A  small  stretch  of  table-land,  which  I 
soon  reached,  was  covered  with  short  grass  and  some  little 
clusters  of  shrubs,  with  scattered  fragments  of  rocks  ;  and  as 


THE  JAPANESE  PHEASANT.  169 

I  heard  a  note  wliicli  I  took  to  be  the  crowing  of  a  cock 
pheasant  at  a  short  distance,  I  availed  myself  of  the  excellent 
cover,  and,  crawling  cautiously  on  my  hands  and  knees,  I 
succeeded  in  approaching  him  within  about  fifteen  yards. 
Having  the  advantage  of  the  wind  and  a  foggy  atmosphere, 
and  being  moreover  concealed  by  the  rocks  and  shrubs,  1 
could  indulge  in  quietly  observing  him  and  his  family.  On  a 
small  sandy  patch  was  an  adult  cock  and  three  hens  busy  in 
taking  their  breakfast,  which  consisted  of  the  berries  already 
mentioned  growing  hereabouts  in  abundance.  From  time  to 
time  the  lord  of  this  little  family  stopped  in  his  repast  and 
crowed  his  shrill  war-cry,  which  was  answered  by  a  rival  on 
another  hill  at  some  distance.  At  other  moments  again, 
when  the  sun  broke  forth  for  a  short  time,  all  stretched 
themselves  in  the  golden  rays,  and  rolling  in  the  sand, 
shook  the  morning  dew  from  their  fine  plumage.  It 
was  a  beautiful  sight,  and  I  looked  upon  it  with  ex- 
ceeding pleasure ;  so  much,  indeed,  that  I  could  not 
find  the  heart  to  destroy  this  little  scene  of  domestic 
happiness  by  a  leaden  shower  from  my  fowling-piece. 
Suddenly  the  birds  showed  signs  of  uneasiness,  and  I  soon 
discovered  the  cause  in  a  Japanese  root-digger  coming  from 
the  opposite  direction.  I  therefore  took  up  my  gun,  and, 
standing  on  my  feet,  raised  the  birds  also,  and  as  they  flew 
towards  the  next  hill,  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  bring  down 
the  cock  with  one  barrel  of  my  gun  and  one  of  the  hens 
with  the  other. 

"  The  Japanese,  who  came  up  after  I  had  loaded  my  gun 
and  secured  my  game,  looked  with  some  astonishment  at  the 
stranger,  for  I  was  certaiuly  the  first  foreigner  who  had 
been  in  pursuit  of  game  on  the  hunting  grounds  of  Niphon. 
He  evidently  asked  me  several  questions,  which  I  was  not,  of 
course,  able  to  understand,  but  from  his  signs,  and  the 
frequent  rejjetition  of  the  word  "  statzoo  "  (two),  I  inferred 
that  he  inquired  whether  I  had  fired  twice  in  such  quick 
succession  with  one  gun.     I  nodded  and  explained  to  him  as 


170        PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

well  as  I  could  the  nature  of  my  double-barrelled  gun,  and 
the  use  of  percussion  caps,  which  seemed  to  astonish  and 
delight  him  very  much.  A  pipe  of  tobacco  which  I  offered 
was  gladly  accepted;  and  in  answer  to  a  question  that  he 
appeared  to  understand,  he  gave  me  the  name  of  the  pheasant 
as  Ki-zhi.  Later  in  the  day  more  people  came  to  the  hills, 
some  for  the  purpose  of  digging  roots,  others  to  look  after 
their  cattle,  which  appeared  to  be  turned  out  to  graze  on  the 
hills.  The  birds  had  taken  to  the  bushes,  where  I  could  not 
follow  them,  and  so  obtained  no  more  specimens  on  that 
occasion. 

"  A  few  days  after.  Lieutenants  Bent  and  Nicholson  and 
myself  made  another  shooting  excursion  to  the  hills,  but 
although  we  saw  many  pheasants,  but  a  single  specimen  was 
shot,  and  the  birds  appeared  to  be  very  shy.  We  observed 
several  Japanese  with  matchlocks  about  the  hills,  firing  away 
at  a  great  rate.  As  we  did  not  see  either  of  them  with 
game,  and  as  the  game-laws  of  Japan  are  very  severe,  so 
much  so,  indeed,  that  their  observance  has  been  made  a 
special  article  of  the  treaty  with  the  United  States,  I  con- 
cluded that  the  firing  was  only  for  the  purpose  of  driving 
away  the  pheasants  to  places  where  they  would  be  more 
secure  from  the  strangers." 

The  three  species  of  pheasants — the  P.  versicolor, 
torquatus,  and  colchicus — readily  breed  with  each  other, 
and  the  mixed  progeny,  from  whatever  parentage,  are 
perfectly  fertile.  The  effect  of  this  introduction  of  foreign 
blood  in  our  common  breed  has  been  amazing,  producing  an 
increase  of  size  and  vigour,  and  beautiful  variations  in  the 
plumage,  dependent  on  the  species  whose  blood  predominates 
in  the  cross. 

Nothing  can  be  more  interesting  than  the  production  of 
these  beautiful  mongrels,  which  increase  so  rapidly  that 
Gould  stated  his  opinion  that  in  twenty  years'  time  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  a  true  species  in  this  country.  This,  howevei', 
he  regarded  as  of  little  moment,  as  fresh  birds  can  always  be 


THE  JAPANESE  PHEASANT.  171 

obtained  from  their  native  countries,  Asia  Minor,  China,  and 
Japan.  All  naturalists,  however,  are  not  of  Mr.  Gould's 
opinion.  The  late  Mr.  Blyth  informed  me  that  P.  versicolor 
and  P.  torquatus  kept  themselves  distinct  in  two  neighbouring 
copses  at  Lord  Craven's,  not  intermixing,  although  at  a 
comparatively  short  distance  from  each  other,  and  that  he 
believed,  although  these  races  will  cross  when  in  confinement, 
that  in  the  open  country  the  birds  of  each  would  select  their 
proper  mates  and  produce  pure  bred  offspring,  an  opinion 
which  I  regard  as  exceedingly  doubtful. 

The  cross  between  the  Japanese  and  common  pheasant  is 
a  bird  of  brilliant  plumage,  easy  to  rear,  of  greater  size  than 
the  average  of  English  birds,  and  the  flesh  is  very  tender  and 
well  flavoured.  In  Norfolk  this  very  beautiful  cross  was 
introduced  some  few  years  back  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Gurney,  who 
bred  most  successfully,  both  at  Easton  and  Northrepps, 
from  the  birds  he  obtained  at  the  Knowsley  sale  and  the 
common  pheasant  (though  chiefly  with  the  ring-necked 
cross),  and  produced  magnificent  specimens;  and  from  the 
eggs  being  greatly  sought  after  by  other  game  preservers  in 
his  district,  the  race  soon  spread  throughout  the  county. 
"  From  personal  observation  and  inquiry,  however,"  writes 
Mr.  Stevenson,  "  during  the  last  two  or  three  years,  it 
appears,  evidences  of  this  cross,  even  in  the  coverts  where 
these  hybrids  were  most  plentiful,  are  now  scarcely  per- 
ceptible; the  strong  characteristics  of  the  Chinese  bird 
apparently  absorbing  all  the  less  marked  though  darker 
tints  of  the  Japanese.  One  of  these  birds,  killed  in  1853, 
weighed  upwards  of  four  and  a  half  pounds,  and  many 
examples,  which  were  stuffed  for  the  beauty  of  their 
plumage,  will  be  found  in  the  collections  of  our  country 
gentlemen." 

The  absorption  of  the  Japanese  in  the  more  common  race 
is  not  surprising  when  the  small  interfusion  of  noAV  blood  is 
taken  into  consideration,  but  with  the  fresh  introduction  of 
new  blood,  and  the  care  in  the  preservation  of  the  cross-bred 


172         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES- 

birds,  there  can  be  no  doubt  a  permanent  breed  would 
result,  bearing  tlie  same  relation  to  the  j^ure  bred  Japanese 
that  the  common  ring-neck  does  to  the  pure  blooded 
Chinese  species. 

The  vignette  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  represents  the 
head  of  a  partridge  with  a  perfectly  formed  claw  growing 
from  the  loose  skin  in  the  centre  of  the  lower  jaw;  owing  to 
the  kindness  of  Mr.  A.  H.  Stokes-Roberts  I  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  examining  the  bird  shortly  after  it  had  been 
shot.  The  drawing  was  made  from  the  specimen  in  a  recent 
state. 


f 


i^ir^  r"^^*"^^^^ 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


THE  MONGOLIAN  PHEASANT    {PHASIANUS 
MONGOLICUS). 

HE  magnificent  pheasant  known  as  the  Mongolian 
comes  from  the  valley  of  the  Syr-Daryi%  as  far  east 
W^^'  "  as  Lake  Saisan,  and  the  valley  of  the  Black  Irtish. 
•ir-  So  little  is  known  of  it  in  this  country  that  Mr.  Ogilvie 
I  Grant,  in  his  valuable  monograph  on  "  Game  Birds/' 
published  in  1897,  says  that  he  could  find  no  notes  of 
importance  on  the  habits  of  this  truly  splendid  pheasant,  which 
is  characterised  by  a  broad  white  ring  round  the  neck — inter- 
rupted in  the  front  by  a  narrow  patch  of  colour — and  by 
having  the  whole  of  the  wing  coverts  white,  the  mantle,  chest, 
and  breast  bronzy  orange  red,  the  throat  purplish  bronzy  red, 
aud  the  breast  and  flank  feathers  tipped  with  very  dark 
green.  The  species  is  of  large  size,  the  males  measuring 
between  36in.  and  37in.  Coming  as  the  species  does  from 
the  cold  parts  of  China,  the  desert  of  Gobi,  and  Mongolia, 
it  is  exceedingly  hardy,  and  suffers  more  from  extreme  heat 
than  from  severe  cold. 

An  unfortunate  misunderstanding  has  arisen  in  the 
United  States  respecting  this  bird.  The  State  authorities  in 
Massachusetts  and  in  Oregon  have  in  the  most  extraordinary 
manner  confounded  it  with  the  Ring-neck,  P.  torquatus. 
They    have    issued     specific    directions    for   its    cultivation. 


174        PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

stating  that  it  cannot  be  reared  successfully  in  the  same 
manner  as  ordinary  English  pheasants^  whereas  it  is  appar- 
ently certain  that  no  true  Mongolian  pheasant  has  up  to  the 
present  time  ever  been  introduced  into  the  United  States. 
Misled  by  the  official  documents  as  to  the  rearing  of  this 
bird,  I  reproduced  the  directions  for  its  cultivation  in  the 
Field,  which  elicited  from  the  Hon.  Walter  Rothschild  the 
following  communication  :• — 

"  I  wish  to  point  out  that  the  bird  called  in  America, 
France,  Holland,  and  many  other  countries  Mongolian 
pheasant  is  not  that  bird,  but  the  ring-necked  pheasant,  or 
Chinese  pheasant  (P.  torquatus),  and,  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  ascertain,  the  true  P.  mongolicvs  had  never 
been  introduced  alive  before  Mr.  Carl  Hagenbeck  got 
them  for  me,  and  certainly  have  not  been  introduced  into 
America.'^ 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  this  mistake  could  have 
arisen ;  the  appearance  of  the  two  breeds  is  totally  dis- 
tinct. But  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  Hon.  Walter  Roths- 
child is  perfectly  correct,  for  in  an  elaborate  paper  on 
pheasants  in  Country  Life  in  America  for  September,  1903, 
engravings  of  the  different  species  are  given,  including 
a  large  one  of  the  Chinese  Ring-neck,  P.  torquatus,  and 
underneath  this  elaborate  drawing  is  put  the  following 
description  : — 

"  The  so-called  '  Mongolian '  pheasant,  properly  the  China 
Ring-neck,  or  Torquatus,  the  true  Mongolian,  has  never 
reached  this  country  alive.  Eighteen  Torquatus  pheasants 
were  turned  loose  in  Oregon  in  1884,  and  there  are  probably 
more  now  in  Oregon  than  in  China.  Fifty  thousand  were 
killed  in  one  day  last  year  in  Oregon.  This  is  the  best 
species  for  naturalising  in  American  game  preseiwes." 

There  is  no  doubt  whatever  of  the  correctness  of  the 
statement  by  the  Hon.  Walter  Rothschild,  and  the  error 
committed  by  the  American  authorities  is  greatly  to  be 
regretted. 


THE  MONGOLIAN  PHEASANT.  175 

With  regard  to  the  true  Mongolian,  the  Hon.  Walter 
Kothschild,  writing  in  the  Field  of  June  20,  1903,  says  : — 

''I  have,  however,  had  a  number  of  the  true  Mongolian 
pheasant  (P.  mongolicus)  alive  at  Tring  for  two  or  three 
years,  and  have  had  a  number  of  young,  both  pure  a.nd 
half-bred,  hatched  and  reared  in  our  coverts,  and  those  which 
were  shot  proved  much  superior  in  flavour  and  size  to 
ordinary  pheasants.  Cock  birds  hatched  in  June  were  as 
full  plumaged  and  iveighed  as  much  as  two-year-old  common 
pheasants.'^ 

It  is  exceedingly  satisfactory  to  know  that  the  half-bred 
P.  mongolicus  have  proved  successful  in  the  coverts.  At 
Tring,  several  hundred  were  reared,  and  came  to  the  gun  in 
1903.  The  male  hybrids  have  very  much  the  appearance  of 
the  pure  P.  mongolicus,  as  shown  in  the  coloured  engraving, 
the  wing  coverts  are  not  so  clear  in  the  white  :  but  in 
beauty,  hardihood,  and  qualities  on  the  table  they  leave 
nothing  to  be  desired. 

The  directions  published  by  the  Massachusetts  Game 
Commission  as  to  rearing  the  supposed  Mongolian,  but  really 
Chinese  Eing-necked  pheasant,  successfully  on  the  maggots 
of  the  blue-bottle,  or  blow-fly,  where  ants'  eggs  cannot  be 
obtained,  are  so  important  that  although  they  were  issued  in 
error  as  to  the  species  of  pheasant,  I  think  they  are  perfectly 
worth  reproduction,  and  therefore  insert  the  following 
extract  from  the  report : — 

"  The  arrangement  for  raising  maggots  is  simple  and  easily 
constructed.  A  small  house  6ft.  by  8ft.  and  6  ft.  high  was 
framed  and  covered  with  matched  boards.  Four  windows 
were  cut  in  it,  but,  instead  of  glass,  they  were  covered  on  the 
outside  with  jin.  mesh  wire  cloth,  and  solid  shutters  hinged 
on  the  outside.  A  ventilator  Sin.  square  and  12ft.  high  was 
attached  to  the  roof.  By  opening  the  door  and  windows  the 
house  was  suflBciently  ventilated  in  a  short  time  to  do  what 
work  was  necessary  inside.  Across  one  side,  near  the  top, 
and    about    lOin.   from  the  boarding,   a  joist   was  fastened. 


176        PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

thickly  studded  with  small  meat  hooks ;  20in.  below  this 
were  placed  hopper-shaped  boxes,  18in.  square  at  the  top, 
12in.  at  bottom,  and  7in.  deep,  the  bottom  covered  with  jin. 
mesh  wire  cloth.  Below  these  were  arranged  tight  drawers 
18in.  square  and  4in.  deep,  around  the  tops  of  which  were 
nailed  strips  of  tin  projecting  inward  about  fin,  to  prevent 
the  maggots  crawling  out, 

"  After  many  experiments  it  was  found  that  sheep  plucks 
were  the  cheapest  and  most  available  material  for  the  purpose, 
thirty-six  plucks  a  week  producing  enough  food  for  about 
200  young  pheasants.  Three  times  a  week  from  six  to  twelve 
plucks  were  spread  in  the  morning  on  a  hurdle  covered  with 
lin.  mesh  wire  cloth,  and  set  out  of  doors,  and  by  night  were 
fully  blown,  when  they  were  taken  into  the  house  and  hung 
on  the  hooks.  Seven  plucks  will  produce  from  four  to  seven 
quarts  of  maggots.  The  hopper  boxes  were  about  half  filled 
with  a  mixture  of  wheat  bran  and  ground  beef  scraps  (one 
quart  of  sci^aps  to  six  of  bran),  thoroughly  mixed  and 
moistened  with  water.  In  about  twenty-four  hours  (depending 
somewhat  upon  the  temperature)  the  maggots  drop  into  the 
bran,  where  they  find  additional  food  and  then  drop  into  the 
drawers  below.  They  are  not  in  condition  to  use  until  the 
fourth  or  fifth  day  after  the  meat  is  blown,  but  if  not  then 
placed  in  a  cool  place  will  change  to  the  chrysalid  state,  unfit 
for  the  chicks,  in  a  few  hours.  By  placing  them  in  a 
refrigerator  as  soon  as  fully  grown,  where  the  temperature 
does  not  exceed  45°,  further  development  is  arrested,  and 
they  may  be  kept  for  several  weeks, 

"  All  this  may  not  seem  very  enticing  work,  but  it  is  a 
necessity,  as  this  or  some  equivalent  must  be  used  for  food  to 
insure  success  in  raising  Mongolian  pheasants.  The  chicks 
are  so  small  and  tender  for  the  first  two  or  three  weeks  that 
all  efforts  to  raise  them  on  the  food  recommended  for  the 
English  pheasants  end  more  or  less  in  disappointment.  When 
fed  on  maggots  the  loss  from  disease  was  slight,  but  a 
considerable  number  were  lost  by  accidents.     When  the  young 


THE  MONGOLIAN  PHEASANT. 


177 


pheasants  were  but  three  or  four  weeks  old  they  flew  over  the 
fence  and  into  the  adjacent  woods.  The  treatment  of  the 
young  Mongolian  was  quite  different  from  the  directious  given 
for  raising  English  pheasants.  After  the  first  week  the  board 
was  taken  away  from  the  little  yard,  and  the  birds  were 
allowed  to  go  at  pleasure  into  the  large  inclosure,  shutting 
them  up  at  night  and  letting  them  out  in  the  morning,  often 
by  five  o'clock,  making  no  effort  to  keep  them  out  of  the  wet 
grass  or  rain.  They  sometimes  became  quite  wet,  but  did 
not  seem  any  the  worse  for  it.  They  will  stand  any  weather 
if  properly  fed.  Coming  from  the  rough  climate  of  China  and 
Southern  Siberia,  they  suffer  more  from  the  heat  in  July  and 
August  than  from  the  most  severe  winter  weather." 

These  directions  will  afford  considerable  assistance  to 
many  pheasant  rearers  in  districts  were  ants'  eggs  are  not 
abundant,  and  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  the 
information  given  in  the  valuable  account  extracted  from 
the  Massachusetts  ComviUsion  will  be  of  great  interest  to 
all  pheasant  rearers. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


EEEVES^S    PHEASANT    [PHASIANUS 
REEVE  8 11). 

ARCO  POLO,  the  old  Venetian  traveller,  who 
returned  to  Venice  in  1298,  after  a  residence 
of  seventeen  years  in  Tartary,  was  evidently 
\  acquainted  with  the  magnificent  species  now  known 
as  Reeves's  Pheasant.  In  the  language  of  his  original 
translator,  whose  quaint  orthography  I  have  followed, 
he  is  made  to  state  :  *'  There  be  plenty  of  Feysants  and  very 
greate,  for  1  of  them  is  as  big  as  2  of  ours,  with  tayles  of 
eight,  9  and  tenne  spannes  long,  from  the  Kingdom  of 
Erguyl  or  Arguill,  the  W.  side  of  Tartary. ^^  This  descrip- 
tion can  only  be  applicable  to  the  species  now  under  con- 
sideration. From  this  time,  until  described  by  Latham  and 
Temminck,  this  bird  was  comparatively  unknown,  except 
from  the  inspection  of  Chinese  drawings.  Sonnini,  who 
preceded  Temminck,  concludes  his  account  by  stating  that  it 
is  very  possible  that  the  bird,  of  which  he  had  merely  seen 
pictures,  ''  exists  only  in  the  imagination  of  the  Chinese 
painters." 

Singularly  enough,  the  species  was,  for  thirteen  years — 
namely,  1808  to  1821 — living  in  the  aviary  of  Mr.  Beale,  at 
Macao.  Dr.  Bennett,  in  his  "Wanderings  in  New  South 
Wales,"  states  :  "  In  Mr.  Beale's  splendid  aviary  and  garden 


REEVES'S  PHEASANT.  179 

at  Macao  the  beautiful  P.  ve)ieratus  of  Temminck,  the 
P.  reevesii  of  Gray,  now  commonly  known  by  the  name  of 
the  Reeves's  Pheasant,  was  seen.  It  is  the  Chee-hai  of  the 
Chinese. 

"  The  longest  tail  feathers  of  the  bird  are  6ft.  in  length, 
and  are  placed  in  the  caps  of  the  players  when  acting 
military  characters.  This  I  observed  at  Canton,  where  some 
of  the  beautiful  tail  feathers  (rather  in  a  dirty  condition,  like 
the  actors  themselves,  who,  in  their  tawdry  dresses  reminded 
me  of  the  chimney-sweepers  in  London  on  a  May-day)  were 
placed  erect  on  each  side  of  their  caps  as  a  decoration. 

"  The  Chinese  do  not  venerate  this  bird,  as  was  first 
supposed,  and  which  may  have  caused  Temminck  to  bestow 
on  it  the  name  of  veneratiis ;  but  it  is  superstitiously  believed 
that  the  blood  of  the  bird  possesses  poisonous  properties,  and 
that  the  Mandarins,  when  in  expectation  of  losing  their  rank 
and  being  suddenly  put  to  death  by  order  of  the  Emperor, 
preserve  some  of  it  on  a  handkerchief  in  a  dried  state,  on 
sucking  which  they  fall  down  and  instantly  expire. 

"Mr.  Beale's  first  male  specimen,  obtained  in  1808,  was 
kept  in  a  healthy  state  for  thirteen  years ;  after  its  death  he 
endeavoured  to  procure  others,  but  did  not  succeed  until  1831, 
when  four  specimens  were  brought  from  the  interior  of  China, 
and  purchased  by  him  for  130  dollars ;  these  were,  I  believe, 
taken  to  England  subsequently  by  Mr.  Reeves." 

The  first  living  bird  of  this  species  was  imported  into 
Europe  about  the  year  1831  by  Mr.  Reeves  (of  the  firm  of 
Dent  and  Co.).  This  specimen  was  a  male.  The  son  of  this 
gentleman,  Mr.  John  R.  Reeves,  brought  a  female  over  in 
1838,  and  the  pair  were  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  at  the 
same  time ;  but  the  male  being  old,  they  did  not  breed. 
Some  cross-bred  birds  were  reared  from  the  hen,  who  died  in 
1840. 

Dr.  Latham,  in  his  "  General  History  of  Birds,"  gave  a 
description  of  this  species  from  a  drawing  and  tail  feathers  in 
the  possession  of  Sir  J.  Anstruther.  He  states: — ''I  had  an 
N  2 


180         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

opportunity  of  seeing  a  bundle  of  thirty  or  forty  of  these  tail 
feathers,  which  were  brought  from  China,  and  I  found  amongst 
them  specimens  of  every  length  from  18in.  to  7ft/^  The 
species  was  named  by  Latham  P.  superhus.  Temminck 
described  it  under  the  title  of  Faisan  superbe  in  his  "  Pigeons 
et  Gallinaces/'  published  in  1813.  At  this  date  it  was  known 
to  him  only  by  the  two  central  tail  feathers,  and  the  drawings- 
of  native  Chinese  artists.  Subsequently,  however,  he  obtained 
a  skin  of  the  male,  which  he  figured  in  his  "  Planches 
coloriees,''  giving  it  the  erroneous  name  of  P.  veneratus.  This 
plate  was  copied  on  a  reduced  scale  in  Jardine's  "Naturalist's 
Library,"  published  in  1834.  Dr.  J.  E.  Gray,  in  his  "  Indian 
Zoology,^'  named  the  bird  after  the  gentleman  by  whom  it 
was  introduced  into  England,  and  by  this  name  it  is  now 
generally  known. 

The  successful  introduction  of  the  living  birds  now  in 
England  is  owing  to  the  combined  efforts  of  the  late  Mr. 
John  J.  Stone  and  Mr.  Walter  H.  Medhurst,  H.M.  Consul  at- 
Hankow.  Owing  to  their  exertions,  this  splendid  pheasant 
is  now  firmly  established  in  this  country,  and  like  the  P. 
versicolor  and  P.  torquatus,  is  to  be  seen  at  large  in  our  woods,, 
and  specimens  are  not  infrequently  to  be  bought  in  the 
wholesale  markets. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Stone  made  continuous  efforts  to 
obtain  this  and  other  new  pheasants  from  Northern  China, 
but  with  no  satisfactory  results  until  the  aid  of  Mr.  Medhurst 
was  obtained.  It  is  mainly  due  to  that  gentleman's  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  natives  of  China,  and  of  their  language,, 
that  the  true  habitat  of  this  bird  was  ascertained,  and  an 
experienced  Chinaman  sent  into  the  interior  for  the  purpose 
of  collecting  this  and  other  rare  pheasants,  of  which  coloured 
drawings  had  been  supplied  for  his  guidance. 

The  first  three  lots  of  birds  obtained  all  died  before 
reaching  England,  with  the  exception  of  one  male,  which 
lived  for  about  three  months.  The  fourth  lot  was  obtained 
in  the  direction  of  Syechney,  about  thirty  days'  journey  from 


BEEVES' S  PHEASANT.  181 

Hankow,  and  from  it  seven  Eeeves's  pheasants  were  deposited 
in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  Regent's  Park.  Mr.  Medhurst  was 
iinxious  that  Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria  should  have  early 
possession  of  specimens  of  P.  reevesii ;  and,  in  com- 
pliance with  his  wish,  one  male  and  two  females  were  offered 
to  and  graciously  accepted  by  Her  Majesty.  Since  the 
successful  reintroduction  of  these  birds  they  have  bred  freely 
both  in  confinement  and  at  large  in  England  and  on  the 
Continent,  and  are  now  to  be  purchased  at  the  dealers. 

With  regard  to  the  distribution  of  this  bird  in  China,  Mr. 
Saurin  remarks: — '^The  Reeves's  pheasant,  called  by  the 
Chinese  Chi-Chi,  is  very  rarely  seen  in  the  Pekin  market. 
For  a  long  time    I  failed  to  discover  from  what  quarter  they 

came Last  winter  I  ascertained,  however,  that  they 

came  from  the  Tuug-lin  ;  and  I  have  reason  to  suppose  that 
they  are  to  be  found  nowhere  else  in  the  province  of  Chi-li. 
About  twenty  birds  were  brought  down  alive  last  winter. 
They  are  never  brought  in  frozen  or  by  Mongols.  Their 
flesh  is  very  delicious,  and  superior,  to  my  taste,  to  that  of  any 
other  pheasant." 

The  general  character  of  the  plumage  of  the  Reeves's 
pheasant  is  well  shown  in  the  illustrations.  The  head  is 
covered  by  a  cowl  of  white,  surrounded  by  a  band  of  black, 
with  a  spot  of  white  under  the  eye ;  the  neck  has  a  broad 
ring  of  white ;  the  feathers  of  the  back  and  upper  part  of  the 
breast  are  of  a  brilliant  golden  yellow,  margined  with  black  ; 
those  of  the  lower  part  of  the  breast  are  white,  each  one 
presenting  bands  of  black  more  or  less  irregular  in  their 
arrangement ;  the  under  parts  of  the  body  are  deep  black ; 
the  tail  is  formed  of  eighteen  feathers,  which  are  closely 
folded  together,  so  that  the  entire  tail  appears  narrow ;  at  the 
broadest  part  the  feathers  are  about  2in.  in  breadth;  the  ground 
colour  of  each  tail  feather  is  greyish- white  in  the  centre,  and 
golden  red  at  the  edges,  and  crossed  with  crescent-shaped  bars, 
which  vary  in  number  according  to  the  length  of  the  feather, 
in  the  longest  feathers  being  considerably  more  than  fifty. 


182         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

A  very  interesting  observation  was  made  by  the  late  Mr. 
Blyth  on  tlie  voice  of  this  species.  He  states  : — "  I  have 
heard  the  call-note  of  Reeves's  pheasant,  and  it  was  some 
time  before  I  could  satisfy  myself  that  it  actually  proceeded 
from  such  a  bird.  It  is  like  the  simple  song  of  some  small 
passerine  bird,  delivered  in  as  high  a  key  as  the  song  of  the 
hedge  sparrow  [Accentor  modularis) ,  one  of  which  happened 
to  be  singing  at  the  same  time.  A  repetition  of  the  same  note 
seven  or  eight  times  over,  quite  musical,  but  not  loud,  being  as 
unlike  what  would  be  expected  from  such  a  bird  as  a  pheasant, 
as  the  voices  of  sundry  Columhidce  are  utterly  different  from 
what  would  have  been  expected  to  proceed  from  pigeons  and 
doves.^' 

The  late  Mr.  J.  J.  Stone,  to  whom  naturalists  are  so  much 
indebted  for  his  introduction  of  this  and  other  splendid 
pheasants,  was  of  opinion  that  the  value  of  Reeves's  pheasant 
in  this  country  rests  mainly  upon  its  size  and  strength  of 
flight,  making  it  the  prince  of  game  birds  for  our  woods.  In 
a  communication  to  me  on  the  subject,  he  wrote  :  "  The  point 
I  aim  at  is  to  induce  the  large  landed  proprietors  and  game 
preservers  to  introduce  the  Reeves's  pheasant  into  their 
coverts,  believing  that  it  will  (from  its  wild  character)  afford 
the  best  sport  of  all  the  pheasants,  and  from  its  size  and  the 
magnificence  of  its  plumage  it  must  be  a  desirable  addition  to 
our  list  of  game  birds.  I  want  to  see  Reeves's  pheasant 
common  on  the  dinner  table  ;  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it 
should  not  be  so  in  a  few  years,  seeing  that  it  is  now  being 
bred  freely  in  Belgium,  and  may  be  purchased  there  at  about 
the  price  which  the  Versicolor  still  commands,  though  much 
longer  introduced  into  Europe."  Since  Mr.  Stone's  death 
several  successful  attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce  this 
most  noble  of  all  the  true  pheasants  into  our  coverts. 

Lord  Lilford,  writing  in  March,  1881,  gave  me  the  follow- 
ing information :  "  I  have  kept  several  in  pens,  and  found 
them  very  uncertain  layers,  although  one  season  my  hen  birds 
laid  an  average  of  twenty  eggs  apiece,  from  which  a  very  good 


REEVES'S  PHEASANT.  183 

proportion  of  young  birds  were  hatched  out.  My  impression 
is  that  these  birds  lay  best — at  all  events  in  captivity — at 
about  their  third  or  fourth  year.  My  gamekeeper,  who  has 
had  charge  of  them,  assures  me  that  the  young  birds  are  very 
hardy  and  easy  to  rear.  I  have  in  Northamptonshire  (the- 
county  in  which  I  have  tried  these  birds)  no  very  large  extent 
of  woodlands  of  my  own,  and  cannot  therefore  tell  you  much 
of  their  habits  in  a  wild  state,  as  they  are  very  much  given  to 
roaming  to  great  distances,  and  a  good  many  have  fallen 
victims  in  my  neighbour's  woods,  besides  the  large  percentage^ 
that  may  be  always  allowed  in  a  foxhunting  country.  They 
have  certainly  crossed,  though  not  abundantly,  with  the' 
common  pheasant.  The  male  hybrid  of  the  first  cross  is  a- 
most  splendid  bird.  Eeeves's  pheasant  is  a  very  wild,  shy 
bird,  very  quick  on  the  wiug,  somewhat  given  to  go  back  i£ 
possible,  but  quickly  attains  a  good  height  in  the  air,  giving 
good  rocketing  shots.  I  found  them  most  excellent  for  the 
table — in  my  opinion  far  superior  to  the  common  pheasant. 
I  believe,  from  what  I  have  seen  and  heard  of  this  species, 
that  for  real  success  with  them  in  this  country  a  wide  range  of 
hill  coverts  would  be  most  eHgible.  I  believe  that  Sir  Dudley 
Coutts  Marjoribanks  has  had  great  success  with  Reeves's- 
pheasants  in  Inverness-shire.''  I  am  informed  that  as  many 
as  sixty  Reeves's  have  been  shot  in  these  coverts  in  a  single 
season. 

Fifteen  years  after  Lord  Lilford  favoured  me  with  the 
above  communication  he  published  in  "  The  Birds  of  North- 
amptonshire" a  further  report  on  this  species,  in  which  he 
maintains  its  desirable  character  as  a  game  bird  for  ranges 
of  Avoodland  in  mountainous  districts.  His  account  is  as- 
follows  : 

"  Another  most  beautiful  species,  known  as  Eeeves's  or 
the  bar-tailed  pheasant  (P.  reevefiii),  though  we  have 
found  it  hardy,  easy  to  rear,  and  excellent  for  the  table,  our 
opinion  is  that,  as  it  possesses  the  roaming  instinct  in  a  still 
higher  degree  than  the  ring-necked  species,  and  is  of  a  very 


184         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

wild  and  wary  nature^  it  is  not  a  desirable  bird  from  a 
sporting  point  of  view,  except  in  very  large  ranges  of  wood- 
land ;  and  from  what  we  have  heard  from  a  friend,  who  has 
been  in  the  native  haunts  of  this  fine  bird  in  the  mountains 
of  Northern  China,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  it  is  more 
likely  to  prosper  in  Scotland  and  in  Wales  than  in  our  own 
Midlands.  The  hybrids  between  this  and  the  common 
pheasant  are  beautiful  birds,  but  not,  so  far  as  we  have  been 
able  to  ascertain,  prolific." 

The  late  Mr.  Home,  of  Hereford,  who  reared  numbers  of 
the  Reeves's  pheasants,  forwarded  to  me  a  letter  from  a  lady 
who  has  been  most  successful  with  them  in  the  extreme  north 
of  England  regarding  this  species.     This  lady  writes  : 

"  The  cock  and  two  hens  I  pm'chased  have  done  wonders, 
and  my  estate  is  now  fairly  stocked  with  birds,  having  put  all 
the  season's  eggs  in  nests  of  the  common  pheasant,  except 
a  few  which  I  reared  myself  and  a  few  which  I  sold.  My  hens 
last  season  averaged  nearly  fifty  eggs  each — not  bad  laying.'' 

Not  only  in  the  extreme  north,  but  in  the  more  cultivated 
parts  of  England,  Reeves's  pheasants  have  done  well.  One 
gentleman  informs  me  that  during  the  year  1895  he  raised 
more  than  twenty  in  the  open,  which  are  now  all  in  full 
plumage,  and  that  he  found  them  easy  to  rear. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that,  as  suggested  by 
Lord  Lilford,  the  bird  being  from  North  China,  is  hardy  and 
well  adapted  to  mountainous  districts,  such  as  those  of  Scot- 
land and  Wales.  It  appears  that  the  easiest  way  of  intro- 
ducing it  as  a  wild  bird  in  those  places  to  which  it  is  adapted 
would  be  to  place  the  eggs  in  the  nests  of  pheasants  breeding 
in  the  open.  Reared  under  those  circumstances,  the  young- 
would  be  hardy  and  vigorous  in  the  extreme,  and  would  be 
much  more  likely  to  do  well  than  if  hand-reared  and  turned 
out  afterwards.  The  hybrids  between  the  Reeves's  and  the 
common  species  are  generally  supposed  to  be  sterile,  which 
may  be  regarded  as  a  point  in  their  favour  rather  than  other- 
wise, as  no  monoTel  crosses  would  be  introduced,  and  Reeves's 


EEEVES'S  PHEASANT  IN  FLIGHT. 


REEVES'S  PHEASANT.  185 

pheasant  could  be  confined  to  those  regions  to  which  by  its 
size  and  habits  it  is  specially  adapted.  With  regard  to  its 
beauty  and  magnificence  there  can  be  no  doubt,  and  Lord 
Lilford  speaks  practically  as  to  its  value  as  a  bird  for  the 
table,  but  I  have  never  had  the  opportunity  of  testing  its 
value  in  this  respect. 

The  most  important  communication  respecting  the  value 
of  the  Reeves's  pheasant  as  a  game  bird,  and  its  rearing  in 
the  forests  of  mountainous  districts,  was  made  to  the  Field  on 
February  9,  1896,  by  Mr.  (now  Sir)  J.  G.  Millais.  This  was 
accompanied  by  a  most  graphic  sketch  of  the  flight  of  the 
bird,  which  Sir  J.  G.  Millais  has  kindly  given  me  permission 
to  reproduce.     Sir  J.  Cx.  Millais's  letter  is  as  follows  : 

"  I  noticed  a  letter  by  Mr.  Tegetmeier  in  the  Field  of 
January  25,  on  the  desirability  of  establishing  Reeves's 
pheasant  as  a  British  game  bird ;  and  as  I  have  seen  and  shot 
several  of  these  birds  at  home,  perhaps  my  observations  on 
the  species  may  be  of  some  interest. 

"  There  is  no  game  bird,  I  think,  in  the  world,  which,  if 
introduced  into  suitable  localities,  would  give  greater  pleasure 
to  both  the  sportsman  and  the  naturalist  than  this  grand 
pheasant ;  for  grand  he  certainly  is,  both  to  the  eye  as  well 
as  the  object  of  aim  to  the  expectant  shooter.  We  all  know 
when  a  cock  Reeves's  pheasant  attains  his  full  beauty  and 
length  of  tail,  what  a  splendid  bird  he  is  as  he  struts  about  in 
his  gorgeous  trappings,  and  shows  himself  off  for  the  benefit 
of  his  lady-love,  but  when  the  same  bird  is  launched  in  the 
air,  and  dashes  along  above  the  highest  trees  of  a  wild  Scotch 
landscape,  leaving  poor  old  Colchicus  to  scurry  at  what  seems 
but  a  slow  pace  behind  him,  I  can  assure  your  readers  that 
both  the  dignity  and  the  pace  are  alike  wonderful,  and  a  sight 
not  easily  to  be  forgotten. 

"  Until  the  year  1890  I  had  seen  and  shot  several  Reeves's 
pheasants,  and  under  ordinary  conditions  of  covert  shooting 
was  content  to  consider  the  bird  hardly  a  success  from  a 
gunner's  point  of  view.       During   that  autumn,  however,  T 


186         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

went  to  the  annual  covert  shoot  at  Guisachan,  Lord  Tweed- 
mouth's  beautiful  seat,  near  Beauly,  in  Ross-shire,  and  it  was 
there,  amidst  the  wildest  and  shaggiest  of  Scotch  scenery — 
in  country  which  must  to  a  great  extent  resemble  the  true 
home  of  the  bird  in  question — that  I  had  cause  to  alter  my 
opinion. 

"  In  one  high  wood  of  old  Scotch  firs,  on  a  steep  and 
broken  hillside  above  the  waterfall,  the  sight  of  these  birds 
coming  along  only  just  within  gunshot,  in  company  with 
common  pheasants  and  blackcocks,  I  shall  never  forget.  I 
say,  '  in  company  with,'  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  as  soon  as  one 
of  the  long-tailed  sky-rockets  cleared  the  trees,  he  left  the 
others  far  behind,  and  came  forward  at  a  pace  which  was  little 
short  of  terrific.  I  doubt  if  any  bird  of  the  genus  goes 
faster. 

''Now  this  is  all  that  the  sportsman  Avants.  Here  we  have 
a  bird  of  unrivalled  beauty,  great  hardihood,  and  unequalled 
pace,  which  practically  fulfils  all  the  conditions  which  the 
modern  shooter  requires.  The  only  other  condition  which  is 
absolutely  essential  to  make  the  bird  a  success  from  this  point 
of  view  is  its  local  environment.  In  this  respect  Guisachan  is 
not  singular,  and  I  could  name  a  hundred  localities  in  Scot- 
land, England,  and  Wales  where  Reeves's  pheasant  would  be 
certain  to  succeed. 

"  The  Guisachan  birds  were  obtained  by  the  late  Lord 
Tweedmouth  from  Balmacaan,  the  late  Lord  Seafield's  estate 
near  Loch  Ness,  where  I  have  also  seen  them  shot.  No 
artificial  rearing  was  resorted  to ;  the  birds  were  breeding  in 
a  wild  state,  and  shifting  entirely  for  themselves,  except  for 
the  maize  which  was  put  down  for  the  ordinary  pheasants.  At 
Balmacaan,  where  the  birds  were  in  low  open  woods,  one  may 
see  Reeves's  pheasants  killed  in  the  way  in  Avhich  they  should 
not  be.  Here  these  birds  (as  is  the  case  when  turned  down 
on  any  ordinary  English  preserve)  have  formed  most  un- 
desirable habits.  It  is  with  great  diflSculty  they  can  be  got 
to   rise  at  all,  and  when  this  is  effected  they  keep  low,  and 


REEVES'S  PHEASANT.  187 

afford  no  sport  whatever.  Now^  at  Guisachan  all  this  is 
obviated  by  the  rough  nature  of  the  ground.  There  is  heavy- 
bracken,  fallen  trees,  mountain  burns,  and,  above  all,  rough 
heather.  These  cause  the  birds  to  get  up  almost  at  once. 
The  trees  being  high  and  dense  assist  their  elevation,  and 
force  them  to  a  respectable  height  from  the  very  start. 

"  In  conclusion  I  should  like  to  make  one  observation  on 
the  flight  of  Keeves's  pheasant  which  I  have  never  seen  touched 
on  before,  and  which  is  both  interesting  and  remarkable. 
Reeves's  pheasant  has  the  power  to  stop  suddenly  Avhen 
travelling  at  its  full  speed,  Avhich  may  be  estimated  at  nearly 
double  that  of  an  ordinary  pheasant ;  and  this  is  performed 
by  an  extraordinary  movement  when  the  bird  makes  up  its 
mind  to  alight  on  some  high  tree  that  has  taken  its  fancy. 
This  bii'd  may  be  said  to  be  furnished  with  a  '  Westinghouse 
brake '  in  the  shape  of  its  tail,  otherwise  the  feat  would  be 
impossible.  By  a  sudden  and  complete  turn  of  the  body, 
both  the  expanded  wings  and  tail  are  presented  as  a  resistance 
to  the  air,  and  the  position  of  the  bird  is  reversed.  This  acts 
as  an  immediate  buffer  and  brake,  and  by  this  means  the  bird 
is  enabled  to  drop  head  downwards  into  the  tree  within  the 
short  space  of  eight  or  ten  yards.  This  is  such  a  very  remark- 
able movement,  and  one  which  of  necessity  requires  some 
illustrative  explanation,  that  I  send  you  herewith  a  sketch  of 
it,  which  may  be  of  interest." 

Lord  Ravensworth,  writing  of  the  birds  in  Inverness-shire, 
makes  the  following  remarks  on  the  habits  of  this  species  : — 

'^  The  Bar-tail  is  a  true  pheasant,  well  able  to  take  care  of 
himself  in  any  climate,  at  any  altitude,  and  is  more  easily 
reared  than  the  common  species.  He  is  very  shy  and  wild, 
difficult  to  approach,  and  takes  to  his  legs  long  before  other 
pheasants  are  conscious  of  any  danger.  His  flight  is  pro- 
digiously rapid  and  straight,  and  he  will  travel  thirty  miles 
on  end,  which,  of  course,  is  an  objectionable  practice,  except 
in  such  extensive  forest  grounds  as  the  highlands  of  Scotland 
present.     These  pheasants  travel  in  troops  of  fifteen  or  twenty. 


188         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

and  present  a  grand  and  bewildering  effect  when  they  rise  in 
such  a  company.  Any  attempt  to  walk  up  to  them  in  brush 
covert  is  utterly  hopeless,  for  they  are  exceedingly  vigilant 
and  go  straight  off  like  a  dart,  not  more  than  six  feet  from 
the  ground,  far  out  of  reach/' 

Mr.  J.  Mayes,  head-keeper  to  the  late  Maharajah  Dhuleep 
Sing,  writing  from  Elvedon,  in  1877,  stated:  ''I  have  bred 
the  Reeves's  pheasant  for  the  last  five  or  six  years,  rearing 
them  by  hand,  and  have  had  pretty  good  luck  with  them  the 
last  two  years,  having  succeeded  in  rearing  about  sixty  in  the 
two  seasons  ;  but  I  find  they  are  much  healthier  turned  out 
than  when  penned  up.  The  soil  here  is  dry  and  sandy,  which 
«eems  to  suit  them  very  well.  Two  years  ago  I  penned 
up  fifty  very  fine  young  birds,  about  half-grown  ;  but  they 
swelled  very  much  about  the  head,  and  went  completely  blind, 
and  about  twenty  of  them  died,  but  those  that  we  have  turned 
out  seem  to  be  in  ver}'-  good  health  and  condition.  As  regards 
hybridizing,  I  know  they  will  do  so,  as  three  years  ago  a  hen 
Reeves  escaped  from  the  pens,  bred  with  a  common  pheasant, 
and  brought  up  five  very  fine  young  birds,  much  larger  than 
the  common  pheasant,  and  of  beautiful  plumage." 

Many  specimens  of  hybrid  or  cross-bred  Reeves  have  been 
reai^ed  in  confinement.  That  figured  in  the  same  plate  with 
the  Bohemian  pheasant  was  the  offspring  of  a  male  Reeves 
with  a  Bohemian  hen  ;  it  partook,  as  may  be  noticed,  the 
characters  of  both  species,  the  tail  being  of  intermediate 
length,  the  white  cowl,  cheek  patch,  and  neck  ring  of  the 
Reeves  being  retained,  but  the  splendid  golden  yellow  of  the 
body  being  almost  entirely  wanting.  Hybrids  between  a 
Reeves's  hen  and  a  Soemmerring  cock  have  been  bred  by  Mr. 
Jamrach.  The  male  birds  appeared  precisely  intermediate 
between  the  two  parents,  having  the  strongly  barred  tail  of 
the  Soemmerring  and  the  perfectly  marked  head  of  the  Reeves's 
pheasant.     They  Avere  exceedingly  beautiful. 

Hybrids  have  also  been  produced  between  a  male  Reeves's 
pheasant    and    female    Cheer    (P.  ivaJlichii),  but  they    have 


REEVES'S  PHEASANT. 


189 


little  beyond  their  size  to  recommend  them.  In  appearance 
they  look  like  dirty  faded  Reeves,  with  comparatively 
short  tails.  They  are  of  large  size,  like  the  parent  species, 
and  would  in  all  probability  partake  of  those  terrestrial  habits 
of  the  Cheer  which  preclude  its  being  advantageously  intro- 
duced as  a  game  bird,  as  it  often  refuses  to  rise,  even  when 
hunted  or  pursued  with  dogs. 

A  singular  hybrid  was  produced  and  described  by  Mr.  R. 
Sanders,  of  Heavitree,  who  writes  : — '^  I  have  three  most 
beautiful  male  birds,  bred  between  the  Reeves  and  gold.  The 
size  is  about  that  of  the  male  Reeves,  but  the  plumage  does 
not  in  the  least  partake  of  that  of  either  parent ;  ic  is  veiy 
much  like  that  of  the  copper  pheasant  of  China  (of  which 
I  had  several  some  years  since),  but  not  so  dark.  The  chief 
colour  is  a  soft  light  brown,  running  into  a  light  copper ;  the 
marking  on  the  head  is  somewhat  after  the  Reeves ;  the  tail 
very  long." 


CHAPTER   XV. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


HAGENBECK'S   PHEASANT    {PHASIANU8 
HAGENBEGKI). 

HIS    species    of    pheasant — which    has    been    intro- 
duced into  England  in  large  numbers   in  a  frozen 
condition,  and  would,  from  its  lai'ge  size,  beautiful 
plumage,  and  fine    edible  qualities,  be  a  most  advan- 
tageous addition    to    our    coverts — was  first    described 
and  exhibited  bj  the   Hon.   Walter  Rothschild  at  the 
meeting  of  the  British  Ornithologists'  Club  on  November  20, 
1901.     Mr.  Rothschild's  description  was  as  follows  : — 

"This  species  is  somewhat  allied  to  P.  torquatus, 
Gill.,  but  differs  in  the  following  points : — The  scapulars  are 
paler  rufous  buff,  instead  of  dark  bright  chocolate-rufous  or 
maroon-chocolate,  as  in  P.  torquatus.  The  flanks  and  breast 
are  much  paler,  as  are  also  the  feathers  of  the  hindneck  and 
mantle.  The  crown  is  clear  chromium-green,  instead  of  olive- 
green  ;  the  superciliary  stripe  is  twice  as  broad  and  snow- 
white,  instead  of  greenish  buffy  white.  The  most  striking 
difference,  however,  is  in  the  feathers  of  the  upper  rump  and 
lower  back.  In  P.  torquatus  these  have  a  sub-terminal,  oval, 
transverse,  and  narrow  bar  of  green,  then  one  of  buffy  grey, 
then  a  more  or  less  interrupted  one  of  black,  and,  lastly,  a 
black,  longitudinal  centre,  with  the  pale  space  on  each  side 
vermiculated  with    black.      In   P.  hagenhecki   these  feathers 


HAGENBECK'S  PHEASANT.  191 


liave  a  creamy-white  ground-colour,  two  green  entire  trans- 
verse sub-terminal  bands,  and  then  two  smoky-black  trans- 
verse bars  across  the  middle  portion  of  the  feather.  This 
gives  the  lower  back  and  rump  a  much  more  mottled 
appearance  in  P.  hagenhecH,  which  has  also  the  lower  and 
greater  wing  coverts  clearer  blue-grey.  The  front  of  the 
neck  and  the  sides  are  oily  green,  instead  of  purplish  blue 
washed  with  oily  green.  Wiog  26  cm.  (10 j  inches)  ;  tail 
51  cm.  (21i-  inches).  Hab.,  Kobdo  Valley,  N.W.  Mongolia." 
In  April,  1903,  a  very  large  number  of  these  Ini-ds  were 
imported  into  the  London  markets  in  a  frozen  condition,  and 
by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Castang  perfect  specimens  were 
obtained  for  me  from  the  large  consignments.  These  are 
represented  in  the  coloured  plate,  which  has  been  most  care- 
fully drawn  by  Mr.  Frohawk.  The  male  was  3^1b.  in 
weight,  and  its  extreme  length  was  'dS  inches  from  the  beak 
to  the  point  of  the  tail.  The  colouration  of  the  plumage 
closely  accords  with  Mr.  Rothschild's  description.  The  hen 
Avas  2^-lb.  in  weight,  and  was  strikingly  distinguished  by 
her  margined  plumage.  The  birds  are  obviously  true 
pheasants,  larger  in  size  than  our  ordinary  species.  They 
would  evident!}^  interbreed  freely  with  any  species  of  phea- 
sants already  introduced,  and,  from  their  great  size  and 
gorgeous  colouration,  would  be  grand  additions  to  our  coverts. 


CHAPTEE   XVI. 

PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES'S  PHEASANT  {PHA8IANVS 
PRINCIPALIS). 

It'N  Aprils  1885,  Mr.  Sclater  exhibited  at  the  Zoo- 
|r  logical  Society  skins  of  a  pair  of  pheasants  brought 
^^  from  Bala  Murghab,  North  Afghanistan,  belonging- 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  read  extracts  relating  to 
the  specimens  from  a  letter  addressed  by  Mr.  Condie- 
Stephen  to  Sir  Dighton  Probyn. 
"These  pheasants/'  writes  Mr.  Stephen,  "abound  in  the- 
reeds  fringing  this  river,  rising  in  places  in  far  larger  numbers- 
than  I  have  seen  at  any  battue  in  England.  You  can  imagine 
what  a  quantity  there  must  be  from  the  fact  that  we  killed 
more  than  four  hundred  on  our  march  of  thirty  miles  up  the- 
river,  mostly  cocks." 

The  living  specimens,  which  were  subsequently  received 
in  the  gardens,  and  from  which  the  engraving  was  taken^ 
were  obtained  by  Major  Peacock  from  the  Afghan  frontier,, 
but  in  consequence  of  their  being  received  in  very  poor 
condition,  they  all  died  without  having  produced  any  young. 

The  most  important  characteristic  of  this  fine  bird,, 
and  one  that  distinguishes  it  from  all  the  pheasants  first 
naturalised  in  this  country,  is  that  the  wing  coverts  are  white,. 
a  character  which  it  has  in  common  with  the  Mongolian 
pheasant,  P.  mongolicus ;  but  it  differs  in  the  markings  and 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES'S  PHEASANT  {Phasianus  principalis). 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES'S  PHEASANT  193 

arrangement  of  the  colours,  and  has  consequently  been 
regarded  as  a  distinct  species,  and  named  P.  principalis, 
in  commemoration  of  the  fact  that  the  skins  were  received 
from  His  Majesty  King  Edward  VII.  when  Prince  of  Wales. 

It  has  been  successfully  introduced  and  reared  in  our 
coverts  by  Colonel  Marsden  Sunderland,  and  is  a  most 
valuable  addition  to  our  coverts,  giving  size  and  hardihood 
to  our  native  birds.  The  plumage  is  beautifully  spangled 
with  bright  purplish  black  on  a  rich  golden  red  ground,  the 
white  shoulders  and  dark  flight  feathers  standing  out  in 
strong  contrast ;  but  there  is  no  ring  around  the  neck,  as  in 
the  Chinese  pheasant. 

In  its  habits  it  differs  somewhat  from  our  common  species 
in  frequenting  swampy  ground  covered  with  reeds,  returning 
to  the  covert  to  roost  at  night.  In  its  native  habitat  it  is 
most  abundant.  At  Masuchak,  on  the  Upper  Murghab,  in 
Northern  Afghanistan,  Major  Durand  and  Major  Yate,  as 
recorded  in  the  latter  officer's  letters  from  the  "  Afghan 
Boundary  Commission/'  brought  in  a  bag  of  nearly  fifty 
specimens  killed  during  the  afternoon.  "  It  is  extraordinary/' 
Major  Yate  remarks,  "  what  a  number  of  pheasants  there  are 
in  the  reed  swamps  of  this  valley,  and  this  year  they  seem  to 
be  even  more  numerous  than  last.  I  know  of  no  country  in 
the  world  where  one  can  get  such  good  real  wild-pheasant 
shooting  as  this.  On  the  21st  we  also  brought  in  a  bag  of 
seveuty-two  pheasants,  but,  as  on  the  first  day,  lost  a  good 
many  wounded  birds.  The  reeds  are  so  thick,  and  the  birds, 
especially  the  old  cocks,  so  sti-ong,  that  it  is  very  hard  to  bag 
one's  bird  even  after  it  is  shot." 

Dr.  Aitchison,  writing  of  this  pheasant  in  the  transactions 
of  the  Linnajan  Society,  says :  "  The  specimens  of  this 
pheasant  Avere  all  got  on  the  banks  of  the  Bala  Murghab, 
where  it  uccurs  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  tamarisk  and 
grass  jungle  growing  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  More  than 
four  hundred  were  killed  in  the  march  of  thirty  miles  up  this 
river.     It  not  only  wades  thi-ough  the  water  in  trying  to  make 

o 


194         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

from  one  point  of  vantage  to  another,  but  swims,  and  seems 
to  be  quite  at  home  iu  these  thickets,  where  there  is  always 
water  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet.  These  swampy 
localities  afford  good  shelter.  In  the  mornings  and  evenings 
the  pheasants  leave  it  for  the  more  open  and  dry  country, 
where  they  pick  up  their  food.  I  believe  the  same  species  is 
found  on  the  Hari-rud  river,  but  I  have  seen  no  specimens 
from  that  locality." 

It  is  not  without  interest  to  note  that  the  Prince  of  Wales's 
pheasant  has  not  unfrequently  made  its  appearance  in  con- 
siderable numbers  in  the  London  markets,  having  been  im- 
ported thi'ough  Russia  in  a  frozen  state,  and  it  is  recorded 
that  the  late  Mr.  Seebohm,  after  having  given  £10  for  one  of 
the  orginal  skins  received  from  Afghanistan,  supplemented 
it  the  following  year  by  a  couple  bought  for  a  few  shillings 
in  Leadenhall  Market. 

The  general  introduction  of  this  pheasant  into  our  coverts 
■would  be  advantageous,  not  only  on  account  of  its  size  and 
plumage,  but  still  more  so  from  the  fact  that,  having  been 
reared  on  swampy  ground,  it  is  a  very  desirable  addition  to  our 
coverts  in  many  localities.  The  history  of  its  introduction 
into  this  country  as  a  wild  bird  is  given  in  the  following 
paper  by  Colonel  M.  Sunderland  : 

"  In  1901  I  read  in  Tegetmeier's  work  on  pheasants 
that  the  Prince  of  Wales's  pheasant  would  be  a  welcome 
addition  to  the  British  coverts,  and  I  therefore  determined  to 
introduce  this  beautiful  bird  into  Europe.  I  first  tried  the 
importation  of  eggs,  but  they  proved  a  dismal  and  costly 
failure.  In  the  autumn  of  1902  I  went  to  the  East,  and 
succeeded  in  securing  several  birds.  No  one  could  positively 
inform  me  whether  this  species  of  pheasant  was  polygamous 
or  not,  so  I  brought  to  England  an  equal  number  of  cocks 
and  hens.  A  useless  precaution,  for  the  cocks  fought  for  the 
hens  in  the  usual  manner.  The  birds  stood  the  long  journey 
very  well,  and  were  turned  down  into  large  enclosures  in 
Hampshire  at  the  end    of   February,    1903.     They    did    not 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES'S  PHEASANT.  195 

begin  to  lay  till  the  end  of  April,  but  laid  very  freely,  those 
in  one  pen  averaging  over  thirty  eggs  a  hen.  Virtually  all 
the  eggs  proved  fertile.  They  hatched  extremely  well,  and 
the  strong  chicks  proved  fully  as  easy  to  rear  as  those  from 
the  ordinary  pheasant.  They  were  fed  on  custard  and 
oatmeal,  etc.,  as  recommended  by  Tegetmeier.  They  were 
brought  up  in  fields  of  standing  corn  and  buckwheat,  sur- 
rounded by  wire  fences  ten  feet  high,  and  the  farm-yard  hens 
employed  as  foster  mothers  were  at  large  in  these  fields. 
The  birds  were  pinioned  when  five  days  old.  I  wanted  them 
to  be  able  to  fly  a  little,  and  severed  the  wing  joint  with 
scissors,  so  as  to  leave  them  with  two  flight  feathers.  This 
has  proved  a  costly  blunder,  for  with  only  these  two  flight 
feathers  the  birds  could  fly  over  the  ten  feet  of  wire  with  the 
greatest  ease.  It  was  quite  a  business  to  catch  them  in 
October,  when  I  moved  into  Sussex,  and  indeed  I  left  several 
birds  in  the  woods  of  Conholt  Park.  Before  turning  them 
down  in  Sussex  I  removed  the  two  flight  feathers  from  each 
bird,  but  despite  all  precautions  some  of  the  birds  still  fly 
over  the  wire.  In  shooting  my  woods  several  were  seen,  and 
two  were  shot,  being  mistaken  for  ordinary  wild  birds,  so 
well  did  they  fly.  Each  pen  consists  of  several  acres  of 
wood,  pasture,  and  arable  land,  which  will  be  sown  with  corn 
and  buckwheat.  Only  five  hens  and  one  (unrelated)  cock  run 
to  the  acre,  therefore  this  breed  of  pheasant  should  remain 
free  from  all  civilised  diseases.  I  may  mention  that  I  have 
noticed  that  the  birds  are  extremely  fond  of  the  flower  of  the 
common  charlock." 

By  the  courtesy  of  Colonel  Sunderland  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  exhibiting  at  the  British  Ornithologists'  Club,  on  Wed- 
nesday, December  16,  1903,  a  magnificent  stuff'ed  specimen 
of  a  male  Prince  of  Wales's  pheasant,  in  superb  plumage  and 
of  great  size.  It  was  the  first  seen  that  had  been  reared 
wild  in  our  coverts  during  the  present  year.  I  also  showed 
an  imported  hen  in  the  flesh,  which,  although  it  had  the 
whole  of  the  primary  feathers  of  one  wing  cut  off,  was 
o  2 


196 


PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


capable  of  flying  so  well  as  to  be  sliot  in  mistake  for  an 
ordinary  bird.  The  bens  of  this  species  are  remarkable 
for  the  absence  of  markings  on  the  breast,  and  the  strongly 
marked  bars  on  the  whole  of  the  flight  feathers.  I  cannot 
refrain  from  calling  attention  to  the  great  success  in  rearing 
these  birds,  which  is  detailed  in  Colonel  Sunderland's  com- 
munication— a  success  obviously  owing  to  the  size  of  his 
pens,  and  to  allowing  his  young  birds  to  roam  at  large  under 
their  foster  parents,  and  obtain  a  great  part  of  their  own  food 
from  the  corn,  buckwheat,  and  the  artichokes  sown  in  these 
pens  for  their  use.  When  will  English  gamekeepers  learn 
that  pheasants  reared  in  this  manner  are  infinitely  superior 
m  health,  vigour,  and  hardihood  to  those  that  are  raised 
under  cooped  hens  in  the  ordinary  manner,  and  that  the 
diseases  which  are  so  fatal  to  birds  on  overcrowded  ground 
are  unknown  to  birds  raised  under  these  conditions  ? 


■'^-'     ^^3yK 


CHAPTER  XYII. 


PHEASANTS  ADAPTED  TO  THE  COVERT 
(CONTINUED). 


SGEMMEREING'S    PHEASANT    {PHA8TANU8 
SCE3niERRINGII). 

EOEMMERRING'S  pheasant  is  an  exquisitely  beautiful 
iJiSI^  species  inliabiting  Japan.  In  the  southern  islands, 
^Ite'   ^      Kin- Shin  and  Hondo,  it  is  very  numerous,  and  is 


commonly  exposed  for  sale  in  the  markets  of  Nagasaki. 
In  other  districts  of  the  country  its  place  seems 
to  be  supplied  by  the  P.  versicolor.  The  bird  was 
known  to  Temminckby  the  dried  skins,  but  recently  the  living 
animal  has  been  introduced  into  aviaries  in  Europe,  and  it  has 
bred  in  the  zoological  gardens  in  London  and  Antwerp,  In 
the  Regent's  Park  Garden  it  first  bred,  according  to  Bartlett, 
in  1865,  when  the  female  laid  ten  eggs,  but  only  a  few 
birds  were  hatched,  and  the  young  birds  died  in  a  few  days. 
Since  then  the  breeding  has  been  more  successful,  and  mature 
specimens  have  been  reared. 

The  species,  however,  is  but  ill-adapted  to  breed  in  con- 
finement, as  the  males  are  excessively  pugnacious — not  only 
destroying  one  another,  but  even  killing  the  females.  This 
tendency  is  probably  developed  by  captivity,  and  no  doubt,  if 
placed  in  a  free  range,  Soemmerring's  pheasant  would  prove 
as  fertile  as  the  other  species.  The  late  Mr.  A.  D.  Bartlett, 
writing  of  this  species  in  Elliot's  monograph,  says  :  '^  Amongst 
the     Phasianidffi    some     species    are     remarkable    for    their 


198         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

pugnacious  and  fierce  dispositions ;  not  only  the  males,  but  fre- 
quently the  females  destroy  each  other.  The  want  of  suflBcient 
space  and  means  of  escape  among  bushes,  shrubs,  and  trees  is 
no  doubt  the  cause  of  many  females  being  killed  when  kept  in 
confinement;  and  this  serious  misfortune  is  unhappily  of  no  rare 
occurrence.  After  the  cost  and  trouble  of  obtaining  pairs  of 
these  beautiful  birds,  and  they  have  recovered  from  their  long 
confinement  on  the  voyage,  their  owner  is  desirous  of  reaping 
a  reward  by  obtaining  an  abundant  supply  of  eggs  as  the  birds 
approach  the  breeding  season,  when,  alas  !  he  finds  that  some 
disturbance  has  occurred,  the  place  is  filled  with  feathers? 
and  the  female  bird,  from  which  he  expected  so  much,  is 
found  dead  or  dying,  her  head  scalped,  her  eyes  picked  out, 
or  some  other  serious  injury  inflicted." 

The  best  account  of  the  habits  of  this  magnificent  bird  is 
in  Commodore  Perry's  "  Japan  Expedition."  Commodore 
Perry  writes  : 

"  This  is  undoubtedly  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  true 
pheasants,  and  will  compai-e  in  richness  and  brilliancy  of 
colour  with  almost  any  other  species  of  bird.  In  the  adult 
male  the  neck  and  back  are  of  a  deep  golden  red,  with  a 
metallic  lustre  of  great  beauty,  but  the  female  is  exceedingly 
plain  and  unpretending. 

"  Like  the  P.  versicolor,  the  present  is  only  known  as  a  bird 
of  Japan;  and  but  a  few  years  have  elapsed  since  it  was  first 
introduced  to  the  attention  of  naturalists  by  the  celebrated 
Professor  Temminck,  well  known  as  the  most  distinguished  of 
European  ornithologists.  It  appears  to  inhabit  the  same 
districts  of  country  as  the  Versicolor,  and  to  subsist  on  much 
the  same  description  of  food ;  but  we  regret  to  say  that  the 
gentlemen  of  the  expedition  had  no  opportunity  for  observing 
this  species  to  such  an  extent  as  to  enable  us  to  make  any 
important  conti'ibution  to  its  history. 

"  Nothing  having  previously  been  published  in  relation 
to  this  beautiful  pheasant,  we  have  exerted  ourselves  to 
obtain    all    available    information,  and    have  great    pleasure 


SGEMMEBBING'S  PHEASANT.  199 

in  again  acknoAvledging  our  obligations  to  Mr.  Heine,  the 
accomplished  artist  of  the  expedition  for  the  following 
note  : 

" '  On  one  of  my  excursions  I  came  very  suddenly  upon 
another  species  of  pheasant,  of  very  beautiful  colours,  and 
with  a  very  long  tail.  Being  in  the  midst  of  briars,  and  in  an 
iucovenient  position,  I  missed  him,  or  at  least  did  not  injure 
him  further  than  to  shoot  oif  his  two  long  tail  feathers. 

"  '  Returning  on  board  in  the  evening,  I  found  that  our 
chaplain,  the  Rev.  George  Jones,  had  purchased  a  pheasant 
of  the  same  kind  from  a  Japanese  root-digger  in  the  hills.  It 
was  not  wounded  or  otherwise  injured,  and  seemed  to  have 
been  either  caught  in  a  trap  or  found  dead.  To  my  inquiries 
of  the  Japanese  Dutch  interpreter  whether  these  birds  were 
ever  hunted,  I  could  obtain  but  evasive  answers ;  but  if, 
however,  such  is  the  case,  the  right  is  undoubtedl}^  reserved 
to  the  princes  and  nobility. 

'' '  It  appears  that  both  these  kinds  of  pheasants  inhabit 
similar  localities,  and  are  abundant  over  the  southern  and  the 
middle  parts  of  the  island  of  Nipon,  for  even  during  my 
rambles  in  the  vicinity  of  Yokohama,  in  the  Bay  of  Yeddo, 
I  could  hear  their  calls  in  the  little  thickets  and  Avoods 
scattered  over  the  country.^ 

"  For  the  following  note  on  the  bird  now  before  us,  and 
the  preceding  species,  Ave  are  indebted  to  the  kindness  of 
Joseph  Wilson,  jun.,  M.D.,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who 
Avas  attached  as  surgeon  to  the  squadron  of  the  expedition  : — 
"  '  Our  acquaintance  Avith  the  pheasants  of  Japan  began 
soon  after  our  arrival  at  Simoda,  or  about  the  middle  of  April, 
1854.  A  Japanese  brought  to  the  landing-place  a  young  bird, 
Avhich,  Avith  the  dark  tips  on  his  doAvny  covering,  and  his 
frequently  repeated  "  peet-peet,"  might  have  been  mistaken 
for  a  young  turkey  but  for  his  diminutive  size.  This  inte- 
resting little  felloAv  had  been  obtained  by  hatching  an  egg  of 
a  Avild  pheasant,  obtained  in  the  hills,  under  a  domestic  foAvl. 

"  '  A  leAv  days  after'  this  a  male  pheasant  in  full  plumage 


'200        PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

was  brought  to  tlie  same  place,  dead  but  uninjured,  and 
evidently  but  very  recently  killed.  The  golden  brilliancy  of 
this  bird's  plumage  is  probably  not  exceeded  by  any  object  in 
nature,  and  is  quite  equal  in  lustre  to  the  most  brilliant 
markings  of  the  humming-birds,  or  the  most  highly  burnished 
metal.  This  splendid  colouring  covers  the  whole  body  of  the 
bird,  merely  shaded  with  a  little  coppered-red  about  the  tips 
and  margins  of  the  feathers,  so  as  to  show  the  lance-head 
form  of  the  feathers.  This  specimen  was  taken  on  board  the 
flagship  Independence  and  preserved. 

"  'The  specimen  of  the  other  species  that  I  saw  was  shot 
by  Mr.  Heine,  who  made  a  very  beautiful  painting  of  it.  The 
two  birds  are  found  in  the  same  localities,  and  seem  to  be 
similar  in  habits. 

''''The  Japanese  system  of  agriculture,  although  very 
minute,  and  appropriating  all  available  land  to  some  useful 
purpose,  yet  affords  abundant  shelter  for  the  native  fauna. 
Scarcely  any  land  is  tilled  except  such  as  can  be  watered,  so 
that  the  tops  of  hills  and  large  portions  of  mountainous  and 
precipitous  places  are  appropriated  to  the  growth  of  timber, 
or  left  covered  with  the  primitive  forest.  These  wooded 
districts  afford  shelter  for  wild  hogs,  foxes,  and  raccoons  (the 
skins  of  which  were  seen),  as  well  as  for  the  pheasants  ;  and 
they  all  descend  in  turn  to  plunder  the  crops,  or  steal  the 
chickens  in  the  valleys.  During  the  first  part  of  our  stay  at 
Simoda  the  cultivated  fields  afforded  no  food  for  the  pheasants. 
The  natives  told  us  there  were  plenty  in  the  hills ;  but  no  one 
was  willing  to  undertake  to  show  them,  and  several  rambles 
through  the  bushes  where  these  birds  were  supposed  to  feed 
ended  in  disappointment.  Only  once  I  had  a  glimpse  of  a 
brood  of  young  ones  near  a  hut  in  the  mountains,  but  they 
immediately  disappeared  by  running  very  rapidly.  Perhaps 
one  reason  of  our  want  of  success  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  wheat  was  ripe,  and  partially  harvested  before  we  left 
(June  24),  so  that  during  the  time  of  our  efforts  they  were 
enabled  to  fill  their  crops  occasionally  from  the  wheatfields. 


SCEMMERBING'S  PHEASANT.  201 

and  lie  very  close  in  the  hills  during  the  day,  without  being 
under  the  necessity  of  wandering  in  search  of  food. 

"^ '  The  note  of  one  or  the  other  of  these  species  of 
pheasants  was  heard  frequently.  On  the  top  of  a  precipitous 
hill,  about  a  mile  south  of  Simoda,  covered  by  small  pines  and 
a  very  thick  growth  of  shrubbery,  a  pheasant  (so  we  were 
assured  by  the  Japanese)  passed  the  weary  hours  while  his 
mate  was  on  her  nest,  and  very  sensibly  solaced  himself  and 
her  with  such  music  as  he  was  capable  of  making.  It  was, 
however,  anything  but  melodious,  and  may  be  represented  as 
a  sort  of  compound  of  the  filing  of  a  saw  and  the  screech  of  a 
peacock.  There  are  two  notes  only,  uttered  in  quick  succes- 
sion, and  represented  by  the  Japanese  name  of  the  bird — 
Ki-ji ;  but  the  second  note  is  much  longer,  louder,  and  more 
discordant,  in  fact  has  more  of  the  saw-filing  character — 
Kee-jaeae.  These  two  notes  are  uttered,  and  if  the  bird  is 
not  disturbed  they  are  repeated  in  about  five  minutes.  A 
good  many  attempts,  perhaps  twenty,  to  become  better 
acquainted  with  this  individual  all  failed.  It  seemed  impossible 
to  make  him  fly,  though  his  covert  was  by  no  means 
extensive.^ " 

This  species  is  readily  distinguished  by  the  widely 
separated  transverse  bands  on  the  tail  of  the  male,  and  the 
short,  rounded  tail  of  the  female  (Sin.  in  length,  that  of  the 
male  being  23in.),  the  feathers  of  which  are  tipped  with  white 
at  the  extremit}'.  We  are  not  aware  of  any  hybrids  between 
this  and  allied  species,  although  their  production  would 
be  very  interesting  as  bearing  on  a  suggestion  made  by 
Darwin  to  the  effect  that  '^if  the  female  Soemmerring 
pheasant  with  her  short  tail  were  crossed  with  the  male 
common  pheasant,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  male 
hybrid  offspriug  would  have  a  much  longer  tail  than  that  of 
the  pure  offspring  of  the  common  pheasant.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  female  common  pheasant,  with  her  tail  nearly 
twice  as  long  as  that  of  the  female  Soemmerring  pheasant, 
were   crossed  with  the  male  of   the  latter,  the   male  hybrid 


202         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

offspring  would  have  a  much  shorter  tail  than  that  of  the  pure 
offspring  of  Soemmerring's  pheasant," — "  The  Descent  of 
Man/'  Vol.  II.,  p.  156. 

The  following  description  of  the  two  sexes  is  taken  from 
Gould's  Birds  of  Asia : — "  The  male  has  the  whole  of  the 
upper  surface  and  throat  of  a  fine  coppery  brown,  with  a 
lighter  border  to  each  feather,  which  in  some  lights  appear 
of  a  purple  hue ;  in  others  rich  coppery  red,  and  in 
others  again  bright  but  deep  flame  colour  —  this  latter 
tint  being  especially  conspicuous  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
back  and  upper  tail  coverts.  This  is  the  general  appear- 
ance. On  examining  each  feather  singly,  it  is  found  to  be 
grey  at  the  base,  dark  rich  brown  in  the  middle,  with  a 
broad  stripe  down  the  centre,  and  on  each  side  of  dark 
coppery  brown,  with  a  lustrous  stripe  on  each  side  of  the  tip; 
wing  coverts  the  same,  but  devoid  of  the  lustre  at  the  tips ; 
a  few  of  the  greater  coverts  with  a  narrow  bar  of  creamy 
white  at  the  tip,  within  which  is  a  still  narrower  one  of 
black.  Primaries  dark  brown,  crossed  by  irregular  broken 
bands  of  a  tawny  hue ;  secondaries  dark  brown,  freckled 
near  the  tip  with  tawny,  and  a  large  patch  of  deep  rufous 
near  the  end  of  the  outer  web,  becoming  much  paler  at  the 
extremity  ;  on  the  tips  at  the  inner  webs  of  several  of  them 
the  double  mark  of  white  and  black,  as  on  the  greater 
coverts.  Tail  rich  chesnut  red  with  black  shafts,  and 
crossed  at  intervals  of  about  two  inches  with  a  narrow 
irregular  band  of  black,  and  a  second  broader  and  more 
decided  band  of  the  same  colour — the  space  between  the 
bands  being  of  a  similar  but  paler  tint  than  the  body  of  the' 
feather ;  the  second  band  of  black,  moreover,  becomes 
broader,  and  gradually  blends  with  the  general  colours  of  the 
feathers  as  they  approach  the  extremity — on  some  the 
intermediate  pale  band  is  white;  feathers  of  the  under 
surface  marked  like  the  upper,  but  the  bordering  is  not 
luminous,  and  terminates  in  dull  grey,  within  which,  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  sides  of   the  abdomen,  is  a  narrow  line  of 


SOEMMEBRING'S  PHEASANT.  203 

white  ;  eye  orbits  red  ;  bill  brown  colour ;  feet  bluish-brown 
colour. 

"  The  female  has  a  patch  of  dark  brown  at  the  back  of 
the  head^  with  a  narrow  bordering  of  rufous  at  the  end  of 
each  feather;  feathers  of  the  head  and  upper  surface 
generally  mottled  with  rufous,  with  a  narrow  edging  of 
black  at  the  tip,  and  with  a  stripe  down  the  centre,  which  on 
the  sides  of  the  neck  and  shoulders  is  white,  and  on  the 
other  parts  deep  buff ;  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts  deep 
rust  red,  each  feather  faintly  barred  with  dark  brown,  some 
of  the  wing  coverts  marked  at  the  tip  with  black  and  white, 
as  io  the  male,  but  the  marks  are  broader,  and  not  so  pui'e  ; 
throat  deep  buff,  feathers  of  the  under  surface  brown,  largely 
striped  down  the  centre,  and  tipped  with  pale  or  creamy  buff, 
and  bordered  on  each  side  with  tawny  ;  tail  short,  central 
feathers  greyish  brown,  freckled  with  dark  brown;  lateral 
feathers  rufous,  crossed  obliquely  near  the  tip  with  dark 
brown,  beyond  which  the  end  is  white." 

Under  the  title  of  P.  scintillans,  a  variety  of  this 
pheasant  has  been  described  as  a  distinct  species,  but  it 
appears  to  differ  only  in  the  male  having  the  feathers 
on  the  back  more  or  less  completely  margined  or  tipped 
with  white. 

Mr.  W.  R.  Ogilvie-Grant,  in  his  "Handbook  to  the 
Game  Birds,"  writes  :  "  It  can  only  be  recognised  as  a  well 
marked  variety,  for  it  not  only  occurs  in  the  same  islands 
where  the  P.  soemmerringii  is  found,  but  every  intermediate 
stage  of  plumage  between  the  two  forms  may  be  seen.^' 


CHAPTER    XYIII. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    AVIARY. 


THE   GOLDEN   PHEASANT    {THAUMALEA 
FICTA). 


11 


MONGST  tlie  birds  that  are  reared  in 


our  aviaries  on 


^y  account  of  the  beauty  of  their  plumage,  the  two 
species  of  the  genus  Thanmalea  occupy  a  very 
prominent  position.  These  birds  have  been  separated 
from  the  more  typical  pheasants  (which  have  been 
already  described  as  constituting  the  restricted  genus 
Fhasianus)  by  several  well-marked  characters,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  which  are  the  presence  of  a  crest  of  silky 
feathers  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  and  a  tippet  of  broad  flat 
feathers  encircling  the  upper  part  of  the  neck.  The  Golden 
Pheasant  [Thaumalea  picta)  has  been  long  known  in  captivity 
in  Europe  ;  it  was  described  b}'  Linnaeus  under  the  name  of 
Fhasianus  pictus  in  1766,  but  of  its  habits  in  its  native 
country  nothing  whatever  had  been  ascertained  ;  even  its 
exact  locality  was  doubtful  until  more  receut  explorations  in 
China.  It  is  now  known  to  inhabit  the  mountains  of  the 
western  central  districts,  and  it  has  been  shot  by  Europeans 
on  the  banks  of  the  Yang-tsze,  one  hundred  miles  north  of 
Hankow.  In  the  north  of  China  it  is,  according  lo  Pere 
David,  quite  unknown. 

In  its  mature  plumage  the  male  is  one  of  the  most  gorgeous 
of  the  whole  tribe.  The  head  is  ornamented  with  a  long  crest 
of  silky  orange-coloured  feathers.     This  extends  backwards 


THE  GOLDEN  PHEASANT.  205 

over  a  tippet  formed  of  broad  flat  feathers,  which  are  of  a 
deep  orange  colour,  with  dark  blue  bars  across  the  tips  ;  these 
latter  form,  when  the  feathers  are  in  position,  a  series  of 
horizontal  lines  across  the  tippet.  Dui-ing  the  courtship  of 
the  female  this  collar  or  tippet  is  brought  over  to  the  side 
nearest  the  hen,  as  shown  in  the  background  of  the 
engraving  of  this  species;  the  late  Mr.  T.  W.  Wood  paid 
more  attention  to  the  amatory  displays  of  birds  than  any  other 
writer.  Respecting  that  of  the  Golden  Pheasant  he  writes  : 
"  Not  the  least  remarkable  example  of  the  lateral  mode  of 
display  during  courtship  is  that  of  the  Golden  Pheasant,, 
whose  elegant  form  and  brilliant  colouring  are  so  well  known 
in  this  country.  The  male  runs  very  playfully  after  the 
female,  and  placing  himself  in  front  of  her,  quickly  expands 
his  collar,  bringing  neariy  the  whole  of  it  round  to  the  side 
where  it  is  to  be  exhibited,  and  thereby  presenting  to  view  a 
flat  disc  of  bright  orange-red,  banded  with  perfect  regularity 
by  blue-back  semicircles ;  the  hen,  on  seeing  this,  frequently 
runs  away  pursued  by  her  would-be  mate,  who  generally 
finds  himself  placed  with  his  other  side  towards  her,  and  the 
collar  is  accordingly  shown  on  that  side.  At  the  moment  the 
full  expansion  of  the  collar  trikes  place,  the  bird  utters  a  very 
snake-like  hiss,  which,  according  to  our  notions,  would  not  be 
very  fascinating  as  a  love-song ;  the  body  is  very  much  dis- 
torted, as  is  the  case  with  the  true  pheasants,  but  the  tail  is- 
not  spread  so  much,  as  the  curved,  roof-like  shape  prevents  it& 
forming  a  flat  surface.  Slight  breaks  would  occur  in  the 
black  stripes  of  the  collar  when  expanded,  were  it  not  that 
each  feather  has  a  second  black  stripe  Avhicli  is  so  placed  as 
effectually  to  prevent  this.'' 

Below  the  tippet  on  the  lower  part  of  the  neck  the  feathers 
are  deep-green  margined  with  velvet  black  ;  below  this  again 
are  the  scapular  feathers  of  a  dark  crimson  ;  the  back  and 
rump  are  golden  yellow  ;  the  tail  itself  is  very  long,  the  two 
longest  central  feathers  are  covered  with  small  irregular 
circles  of    light-brown    on    a    dark    ground,    giving    them    a 


-206        PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

mottled  appearance ;  tlie  other  feathers  are  barred  diagonally 
with  dark  brown  on  a  lighter  ground.  On  each  side  of  the 
base  of  the  tail  extend  the  long  nari-ow  upper  tail  coverts  of  a 
bright  orange  crimson.  The  wings  when  closed  show  the 
deep  blue  tertiaries  covering  the  chesnut  secondary  quills. 
The  upper  part  of  the  throat  is  light-brown  ;  the  breast  and 
under  parts  orange-scarlet.  Taken  altogether,  its  appearance 
is  so  remarkable  that  it  looks  more  like  one  of  the  bizarre 
creations  of  Chinese  fancy  than  a  real  bird.  The  birds  cf 
this  genus  differ  from  the  true  pheasants,  in  the  fact  that 
the  mature  masculine  plumage  is  not  assumed  until  the 
autumn  of  the  second  year  ;  the  young  cocks  looking, 
during  the  first  twelve  months  of  their  lives,  very  much 
like  the  hens,  from  which,  however,  they  can  be  readily 
distinguished  by  pulling  one  or  two  of  the  feathers  of  the 
neck,  which  are  reproduced  of  the  distinctive  masculine 
character. 

The  hens  are  very  plain  and  unobtrusive,  being  barred 
with  alternate  shades  of  light  and  dark  brown.  When 
barren,  they,  like  the  other  birds  of  the  family,  assume  the 
more  gorgeous  apparel  of  the  male. 

Under  the  name  of  the  Black-Throated  or  Java  Golden 
Pheasant  {Thaumalea  ohscura),  a  variety  of  this  bird  has  been 
described  as  ''  a  good  species."  It  has  never  been  obtained 
in  a  wild  state,  and  is  evidently  merely  a  variety  that, 
like  the  black-winged  peacock,  may  appear  at  any  time 
amongst  birds  of  the  ordinary  type,  and  could  never  be 
regarded  as  a  species  by  those  who  have  studied  the  subject 
of  variation  practically.  It  differs  merely  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  throat  being  darker  in  colour  and  obscui'ely 
spaugled,  in  the  pattern  of  the  mottling  of  the  upper  tail 
feathers,  and  in  the  general  darker  hue  of  the  females  and 
young. 

One  of  the  best  and  most  complete  accounts  of  the  habits 
and  management  of  the  Golden  Pheasant  in  confinement  is 
that  written  by  Mr.  W.  Sinclaire,  of  Belfast,  and  published 


THE  GOLDEN  PHEASANT.  207 

in  Thompson's  "  Natural  History  of  Ireland."     Mr.  Sinclaire 
writes  :  — 

"  Golden  Pheasants  are  very  easily  reared  in  confinement, 
and  are  quite  as  hardy  as  any  of  the  other  pheasants,  or  as 
any  of  our  domestic  fowls ;  indeed,  I  question  if  any  of  them 
are  sooner  able  to  provide  a  subsistence  for  themselves,  or  to 
Jive  independent  of  the  parent  bird.  In  the  several  years' 
experience  I  have  had  in  the  rearing  of  these  birds,  I  have 
considered  them  past  all  danger  when  they  arrived  at  the  age 
of  three  or  four  weeks;  in  fact,  at  that  age  those  which  I 
brought  up  in  the  garden  began  to  leave  the  bantam  hen 
which  hatched  them  and  take  to  the  gooseberry  bushes  to 
perch  at  night,  and  very  soon  after  to  the  apple  trees.  I 
always  observed  that  the}-  roosted  at  the  extremity  of  the 
branches,  where  they  were  quite  safe  from  the  attacks  of  cats 
or  other  vermin.  This  habit,  together  with  their  very  early 
disposition  to  roost  at  night,  leads  me  to  infer  that  their 
introduction  into  this  country  as  a  game  bird  would  not  be 
diflBcult;  and  that  in  our  large  demesnes,  where  protected 
from  shooters,  they  would  become  very  numerous.  But  I 
should  imagine  that  they  would  not  answer  where  the 
common  pheasants  were  already  introduced,  as  they  are  shy, 
timid  birds,  and  would  be  easily  driven  off  by  the  other 
species.  The  individuals  before  referred  to,  which  were 
reared  in  the  garden,  consisted  of  a  family  of  six;  they 
always  remained  in  the  garden,  where  they  were  regularly 
fed,  except  at  the  commencement  of  winter,  when  they  ceased 
roosting  in  the  apple  trees,  took  to  a  belt  of  Scotch  firs  which 
bounded  the  garden  on  one  side,  and  roosted  in  them  all  the 
winter  and  following  spring.  I  have  seen  them  sitting  in  the 
trees  when  the  branches  were  laden  with  snow,  but  they  did 
not  seem  to  suffer  in  the  slightest  degree  from  the  severity  of 
winter.  About  the  month  of  February  they  first  began  to 
wander  from  the  garden  for  short  distances,  and  as  the 
spring  advanced,  finally  disappeared,  and  I  never  could  hear 
of  their  beinjx  met  with  afterwards. 


208         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

"  In  rearing  the  young  I  found  that  the  very  best  food  for 
them,  and  of  which  they  were  most  fond,  was  the  larvae  of 
the  bhiebottle  fly,  with  a  quantity  of  which  I  always  was 
prepared  prior  to  the  young  being  hatched.  I  took  care  to 
have  a  constant  supply  during  the  season  by  hanging  a  cow^s 
liver  over  a  barrel,  in  the  bottom  of  which  was  some  bran  or 
saAvdust,  into  which  the  maggots  dropped.  A  fresh  liver  was 
hung  up  about  once  a  week.  In  addition  to  these  larvge,  the 
youug  were  supplied  with  potatoes,  alum  curd"^,  groats,  and 
Indian  corn  meal ;  this  last  I  found  they  were  very  fond  of, 
and  it  seemed  to  agree  with  them  particularly  well.  It  was 
mixed  into  the  form  of  soft  dough  with  a  little  water,  which 
was  all  that  was  required.  They  were  also  constantly  supplied 
with  green  food,  such  as  lettuce,  when  they  were  in  the 
aviary.  But  the  best  Avay  is  to  have  a  coop,  railed  in  front, 
into  which  they  are  put  with  the  hen  twenty-four  hours  after 
they  are  hatched.  This  coop  should  be  placed  upon  a  gravel 
walk  as  near  to  the  windows  of  the  house  as  possible,  so  that 
they  may  always  be  within  observation ;  a  small  verdure 
garden  is  the  best  possible  locality,  as  the  young  have  plenty 
of  rano-e,  with  shelter  under  the  bushes  from  both  sun  and 
rain.  In  the  instance  which  I  have  already  alluded  to,  the 
hen  was  allowed  to  rauge  about  six  feet  from  the  coop,  by 
means  of  a  small  cord  attached  to  a  leather  strap  round  one 
of  her  leg.<,  and  the  other  end  tied  to  the  coop  :  the  young 
pheasants  never  wandered  far  from  the  hen,  and  always  came 
into  the  coop  to  remain  with  her  at  night.  In  front  of  each 
coop  a  small  frame  was  put  down,  boxed  round  on  three  sides, 
without  a  bottom,  and  railed  at  top  ;  the  open  side  was  put 
close  to  the  coop,  and  the  young  birds  could  run  through  the 
rails  of  the  coop  into  the  inclosed  space,  and  Avere  safe  from 
the  night  attacks  of  cats,  rats,  &c.  This  frame  was  always 
kept  before  the  coops  for  the  first  few  days  after  the  young 

*  Custard  jirepared  as  described  at  page  117  will  be  fouud  far  superior 
to  curd. 


THE  GOLDEN  PHEASANT.  209 

were  hatched,  and  until  they  became  acquainted  with  the 
call  of  the  hen.  When  I  first  began  to  rear  young  pheasants 
I  could  not  at  all  account  for  their  seemingly  foolish  manner 
for  the  first  two  or  three  days  after  being  hatched;  they 
would  run  gaping  about  without  appearing  to  notice  the  hen 
or  her  calls  to  them  to  come  for  food.  The  reason  of  this  I 
afterwards  believed  to  have  been  owing  to  their  ignorance  of 
the  language  of  their  foster-mother,  which  it  took  some  time- 
for  them  to  understand ;  during  this  process  it  is  necessary  to 
keep  them  confined  within  the  frame  before  their  coops,  as,, 
were  they  to  wander  a  few  yards  from  the  hen,  they  would 
not  heed  her  call,  and  would  inevitably  perish. 

When  three  or  four  weeks  old,  it  is  necessary,  if  reared  for 
the  aviary,  to  pinion  them,  which  is  done  by  cutting  off  rather 
more  than  the  first  joint  of  the  wing,  having  previously,  by 
means  of  a  needle  and  thread,  inserted  close  to  the  smalL 
wing-bone,  and  brought  round  the  large  one,  just  within  the 
skin,  taking  up  the  main  blood-vessels  ;  the  piece  of  the  wing 
is  then  chopped  off  on  a  block.  There  is  no  loss  of  blood,  and- 
I  never  could  observe  that  the  birds  seemed  to  suffer  in  the 
slightest  degree  afterwards,  although  the  operation  I  daresay 
was  painful  enough.  My  reason  for  taking  off  rather  more- 
than  the  first  joint  of  the  wing  was  because  I  found  that  if. 
only  the  first  joint  was  taken  off,  the  birds  were  always  able^. 
when  grown  up,  to  get  out  of  the  aviary,  which  was  about 
12fc.  high,  and  I  found  it  thus  requisite  to  take  off  so  much- 
as  to  render  them  incapable  of  any  attempt  at  flying ;  but 
I  left  enough  remaining  to  enable  them  to  reach  their 
roosting-place  at  night.  I  furnished  them  with  a  kind 
of  ladder  by  nailing  cross  pieces  of  wood  on  a  long  piece 
about  Sin.  wide,  and  which  they  very  soon  learned  to  walk 
up  and  down  with  facility.  One  aviary  in  which  I  kept> 
some  had  a  back  wall  to  it  covered  with  old  ivy,  and  they 
preferred  roosting  in  this ;  indeed,  I  always  found  that,, 
although  during  a  wet  day  those  which  were  at  liberty  took 
shelter  under  a  roof,  yet  at  night  they  would  not  do  so,  but. 


210         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


would  insteHd  loost  in  the  open  air.  The  females  will  lay 
.about  twenty-five  eggs  each  in  tlie  aviary.  I  always  pro- 
vided them  with  baskets  to  lay  in,  which  they  only  some- 
times made  use  of;  they  take  twenty-four  days  to  hatch. 
The  young  cocks  do  not  attain  their  full  plumage  until  after 
the  moult  of  the  second  summer ;  they  drop  their  chicken 
feathers  when  about  three  months  old ;  their  plumage  is  then 
something  like  the  hen's,  but  sufficiently  bright  in  some  parts 
as  easily  to  distinguish  them  from  the  young  females.  In 
general  there  are  more  cocks  than  hens. 

''If  the  cock  birds  are  placed  in  a  portion  of  the  aviary 
apart  from  hens,  any  number  may  be  kept  together.  I  have 
had  so  many  as  twelve  males  in  full  plumage  together,  and 
when  during  the  summer  (and  indeed  at  all  times)  these 
beautiful  birds  were  going  through  the  very  curious  and 
fanciful  attitudes  and  manoeuvres  peculiar  to  them,  it  was  one 
of  the  most  brilliant  sights  to  be  observed  in  nature.  The 
flashing  of  their  various  golden,  crimson,  blue,  and  purple 
j)lumes  in  different  lights  was  absolutely  dazzling  to  the  eye, 
and  at  these  times  they  contrive  to  display  all  the  most 
beautiful  parts  of  their  plumage  to  the  utmost  advantage; 
the  golden  crest  is  raised,  the  splendid  orange  and  purple- 
ftipped  collar  is  spread  out  to  its  full  extent,  while  the  scarlet 
itail  coverts  are  shown  in  all  their  beauty.  During  the  whole 
.time  the  birds  are  leaping  and  dancing  round  each  other,  and 
.uttering  occasionally  their  peculiar  shrill  cry." 

Mr.  Thompson  states  that  he  has  never  known  the  Golden 
Pheasant  to  live  longer  than  ten  or  eleven  years,  and  that 
such  as  came  under  his  knowledge  "  died  almost  instanta- 
neously, and  when  in  the  highest  possible  condition  as  to 
flesh  and  plumage,"  death  being  apparently  induced  by  high 
.condition  and  over  fatness. 

Respecting  their  management  in  aviaries  still  more  con- 
fined for  space,  my  friend  the  late  Mr.  Ed.  Hewitt  kindly 
gave  me  the  following  notes  : — 

''As  I  kept  Golden  Pheasants  many  yeai's  with  success,  afew 


THE  GOLDEN  PHEASANT.  211 

hints  may,  to  beginners,  be  acceptable.  They  may  with  proper 
care  be  reai-ed  perfectly  tame,  but  have  always  a  tendency  to 
be  alarmed  iit  the  sudden  appearance  of  strange  dogs,  cats,  or 
even  individuals,  for  which  reason  I  think  it  advisable  they 
should  be  pinioned  if  allowed  an  out-of-door  run,  lest  they 
may  be  tempted  to  fly  away  or  on  to  the  surrounding 
buildings ;  for,  unlike  common  poultry,  they  are  only  tempted 
to  return  with  great  difficulty,  as  the  moment  they  get  from 
their  accustomed  range  they  seem  as  wild  and  uncontrollable 
as  birds  reared  in  a  state  of  nature.  Pinioning  can  be  easily 
managed  without  the  slightest  detriment  to  the  appearance  of 
the  bird.  Let  it,  too,  be  always  kept  in  mind,  in  handling 
pheasants  never  to  lay  hold  of  the  legs  or  wing,  for  injury  is 
certaiu  to  ensue  ;  but  take  up  the  bird  with  both  hands 
tightly  round  the  bod}^  over  the  wings.  This  is  the  only  safe 
way  of  capture,  and  they  then  may  be  taken  about  without 
injury  at  all,  either  to  their  plumage  or  to  themselves. 

"  I  would  advise  aviaries  for  their  accommodation  to  be 
covered  in  entirely  from  the  rain,  as  nothing  tends  so  much 
to  keep  them  in  perfect  feather  ;  and  then  it  will  not  be  by 
any  means  difficult  to  guard  them  against  another  great 
annoyance — that  of  cats  prowling  about  during  the  night  and 
at  twilight.  From  this  cause  numbers  of  pheasants  of  either 
kind  have  been  destroyed,  not  from  an  actual  hurt  received 
from  the  cat,  but  from  the  birds  in  their  fright  flying 
furiously  against  the  roof  or  the  wirework,  and  scalping 
themselves.  This  may  be  prevented  by  letting  a  'tar-sheet' 
be  fixed  closely  every  night,  to  cover  the  whole  of  the  open 
work  of  the  aviary.  It  has  this  double  service :  it  prevents 
sudden  raiu  wetting  the  sanded  floor  and  causing  damp 
(producing  rheumatism  in  the  inmates),  and  by  being  opaque 
prevents  the  shadow  of  passing  cats  being  seen  ;  for  if  they 
see  cats  at  night  the  birds  will  fly,  and  thus  seriously  damage 
themselves.  I  found  simple  canvas  for  this  purpose  of  no  use 
whatever,  being  semi-transparent ;  the  tar-sheet  is  eflective 
from  its  densitv.  It  is  on  moonlight  nights  that  the  greatest 
p  2 


212         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

danger  is  to  be  feared,  for  on  these  occasions  the  cats  come 
very  long  distances,  attracted  no  doubt  by  scent,  and  when 
they  have  once  found  your  birds  will  be  sure  to  pay  them 
almost  nightly  visits.  As  the  birds  are  valued  for  their 
beauty,  it  will  add  considerably  to  the  perfection  of  their 
plumage  to  place  a  sufficiency  of  perches  for  their 
accommodation  ;  not  spare  and  thin  ones,  but  made  of  deal 
spars  about  l^in.  square,  the  sharp  edges  being  taken  off 
with  a  plane.  This  will  prevent  their  tails  rubbing,  and, 
whether  intended  for  attraction  or  sale,  add  not  a  little  to 
their  value. 

"  In  selecting  the  brood  stock,  a  cock  with  four  or  even 
live  hens  will  be  a  fair  proportion.  I  always  prefer  a  cock 
bird  of  the  second  year  and  hens  of  the  same  age  (because 
they  lay  far  more  eggs),  though  the  eggs  of  pullets  of  the 
preceding  year  are  productive.  The  young  hens  will  only  lay 
ten  or  twelve  eggs  in  a  season,  but  the  older  birds  when 
carefully  managed  will  frequently  lay  thirty  to  forty  eggs  inn 
the  same  period.  These  eggs  require  a  longer  incubation 
than  those  of  common  fowls,  as  they  generally  hatch  on  the^ 
twenty-fourth  day,  though  I  have  repeatedly  known  themi 
continue  in  the  shell  a  day  longer ;  therefore,  if  desirous  of 
rearing  a  chicken  or  two  with  them  (to  insure  greater 
familiarity),  the  fowls'  eggs  must  be  deposited  accordingly, 
as  nothing  tends  so  sadly  to  unsettle  a  hen  at  hatching  time- 
as  some  portion  of  her  chicks  coming  a  day  or  two  previously 
to  the  remainder,  and  it  not  unfrequently  leads  to  the- 
desertion  of  her  nest. 

"  The  eggs  laid  in  an  aviary  should  be  at  once  removed 
from  Golden  Pheasants  directly  they  are  laid  ;  the  cocks 
being  especially  inclined  to  peck  and  eat  them  the  moment 
they  are  produced.  The  best  remedy  I  know  is  to  pro- 
cure half  a  dozen  artificial  eggs,  and  let  them  lie  about 
always,  and  then  the  birds,  seeing  them  constantly, 
regard  them  less.  They  are  raised  in  confinement  much 
more  easily  than  the  common  pheasant,  the  young  growing 


THE  GOLDEN  PHEASANT.  213 

with  great  rapidity  if  well  and  frequently  fed  on  custard, 
boiled  eggs,  good  cheese — all  chopped  fine — and  mixed  with 
bruised  hemp  and  canary  seed.  The  maggots  produced  in 
flesh  from  the  blow-fly  will  tend  very  greatly  to  their  rapid 
growth.  I  am  perfectly  aware  that  ants'  eggs  are  preferable, 
but  when  these  are  not  available  maggots  will  be  found  an 
excellent  substitute,  and  should  be  given  daily  till  the  poults 
are  somewhat  grown.  Wheat,  hemp,  and  barley  are  the 
best  food  for  the  old  stock.  It  is  somewhat  singular  that 
neither  variety  will  agree  comfortably  Avith  the  common 
pheasants  in  a  Avood ;  notwithstanding,  I  have  seen  the 
hybrids  produced  between  these  birds  and  the  common 
pheasants.  They  are  very  beautiful,  being  of  a  strikingly 
rich  auburn,  shading  into  every  variety  of  gold  colour ;  but 
they  were  invariably  unprolific,  and  sought  ever}'  possible 
opportunity  to  evince  their  pugnacity  to  all  other  birds 
confined  with  them. 

''  Golden  Pheasants  will  endure  ever}-  severity  of  our 
climate.  Some  years  since  I  gave  away  some  eggs,  from 
which  birds  were  hatched  and  turned  loose  in  a  large 
plantation ;  they  bred  freely  the  ensuing  year,  and  well 
stocked  the  preserve  ;  the  year  folloAving  some  withdrew 
to  a  covert  at  some  considerable  distance,  driving  away  the 
common  pheasants  and  taking  possession  of  the  whole.  Some 
Golden  Pheasants'  eggs,  which  I  forwarded  as  a  present  to 
a  friend  whose  preserves  are  among  the  largest  in  the 
kingdom,  were  hatched  very  early  last  season  and  turned 
loose ;  these  bore  all  the  rigours  of  winter  as  well  as  any 
others,  but  in  the  spring  began  to  show  a  decided  aversion 
to  their  felloAvs  of  more  sombre  hue." 

Mr.  HcAvitt  further  stated  that  the  sexes  in  the  chicks 
were  easily  distinguished,  the  eyes  of  the  cocks  being  light, 
those  of  the  hens  deep  hazel. 

Golden  Pheasants  that  have  escaped  to  the  coverts  and 
been  shot,  are  found  when  cooked  to  be  of  very  delicate 
flavour.     These  escaped  birds  will  sometimes  breed  with  the 


214         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

ordinary  species.  Mr.  Mayes,  writing  to  me  from  Elvedon, 
stated  that  "the  Golden  Pheasant  will  cross  with  the  common 
pheasant ;  we  have  had  two  or  three  instances  of  their  doing 
so  the  last  two  years  ;  but  it  is  rare,  as  we  have  had  Golden 
Pheasants  turned  out  the  last  ten  years  or  more,  and  never 
knew  them  to  cross  with  any  other  pheasant  before." 

The  vignette  shows  the  head  of  a  singular  variety  of  the 
common  pheasant  which  occasionally  appears  in  the  coverts 
at  Elsenham  and  elsewhere ;  it  remarkably  resembles  the 
P.  hagenhecJii,  which  has  never  been  introduced  into  Europe 
in  a  living  state. 


i/fL^i  I 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    AYIARY 
(COJNTIISUED). 


THE    AMHERST    PHEASANT    {THAVMALEA} 
AMHERSTI^). 

ADY  AMHERST'S  Pheasant  was  first  made  known 
to  Europeans  by  two  male  specimens  presented 
by  the  King  of  Ava  to  Sir  Archibald  Campbell, 
and  by  him  given  to  Lady  Amherst,  who  retained 
them  in  India  for  about  two  years,  and  succeeded  in 
bringing  both  alive  to  England,  where,  however,  they 
lived  only  a  few  weeks.  These  specimens  were  figured  and 
described  under  the  title  of  Phasiamis  amherstice  by  Mr.  B. 
Leadbeater  in  the  "  Linn^ean  Transactions"  for  1828.  Since 
that  time  until  recently  no  living  specimens  have  been  seen 
in  Europe,  and  in  1863  the  male  was  figured  in  Mr.  P.  L<, 
Sclater's  list  of  desiderata  required  by  the  Zoological  Society.. 
The  successful  re-introduction  of  this  remarkable  species  is 
entirely  owing  to  the  combined  efforts  of  Mr,  J.  J.  Stone  and 
Mr.  W.  Medhurst,  Her  Majesty's  Consul  at  Shanghai,  who 
obtained  twenty  specimens  in  Western  Yunan,  eight  of  whichi 
reached  Shanghai  alive,  and  six — fire  males  and  one  female — - 
were  successfully  located  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  Regent's 
Park,  in  July,  1869.  Since  that  time  other  specimens  have- 
been  obtained,  and  the  species  has  bred  freely  in  confinement_, 
and  even  in  the  open  covert. 

The    general     appearance    of    the    species    is    strikingly 


216  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

beautiful.  The  accompanying  engraving,  though  giving 
very  correctly  the  general  character,  necessarily  fails  in 
imparting  any  idea  of  the  coloration  of  the  male.  The  irides 
are  light,  the  naked  skin  of  the  face  is  light  blue,  the 
feathers  of  the  forehead  are  green,  but  the  long  plumes 
which  form  the  crest  are  crimson.  The  tippet,  which  is  so 
characteristic  a  feature  in  the  bird,  is  white,  each  feather 
being  margined  with  a  dark  green  band,  and  having  a 
second  narrow  band  at  some  distance  from  the  tip.  The 
front  of  the  neck,  the  breast,  shoulders,  back,  and  wing- 
coverts  are  of  an  exquisite  metallic  green,  each  feather 
being  tipped  with  velvety  black.  The  lower  part  of  the 
breast  and  belly  are  white,  the  thighs  and  under  tail  coverts 
mottled  dark  brown  and  white.  The  feathers  of  the  rump 
have  the  exposed  parts  bright  saffron  yellow.  The  tail 
coverts  are  brown  at  the  base,  striped  green  and  white  in 
the  middle,  and  brilliant  scarlet  at  the  ends.  The  two  upper 
middle  tail  feathers  have  a  light  ground  marked  so  as  to 
resemble  lace,  with  broad  transverse  bands  of  green  about  an 
inch  apart.  The  other  tail  feathers  have  the  inner  webs 
mottled  black  and  white,  the  outer  webs  with  curved  green 
bars,  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  apart.  The  bill  is  pale 
greenish,  and  the  feet  and  legs  bluish  lead  colour.  The  female 
closely  resembles  the  hen  of  the  last  species  (T.  picta),  being 
a  rich  chesnut  brown,  with  bars  of  dark  brown,  which  are 
broader  than  those  of  the  Golden  Pheasant  hen,  and  the 
•under  parts  are  lighter  in  colour ;  moreover,  the  bare  skin 
of  the  face  is  pale  blue  like  that  of  the  male,  but  much 
smaller.  The  size  of  this  species  is  somewhat  larger  than 
that  of  its  close  ally,  the  Golden  Pheasant.  In  the  male 
the  adult  plumage  is  not  assumed  until  the  autumn  of  the 
second  year. 

When  Mr.  Gould  gave  his  description  of  this  pheasant 
in  his  "  Birds  of  Asia,"  the  male  only  was  known,  and  he 
wrote : — "  It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  see  a  female 
of    this    fine   bird,  and    every  ornithologist  would    be    truly 


THE  AMHERST  PHEASANT.  217 

gratified  by  tlie  arrival  of  any  information  respecting  the 
part  of  tlie  Celestial  Empire  in  wliicli  it  dAvells,  and  any 
details  as  to  its  habits.  The  bird  would  doubtless  be  as 
easily  kept  in  our  aviaries  as  its  near  ally,  the  Golden 
Pheasant ;  and  it  is  my  ardent  wish  to  see  it  thus  located 
before  I  leave  this  lower  world  for  the  higher  and  brighter 
one  which  is  the  end  of  our  hopes  and  desires."  Every 
ornithologist  must  feel  glad  that  Mr.  Grould  bad  his  wish 
gratified. 

Since  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Stone's  specimens,  Mr.  Anderson, 
the  curator  of  the  Indian  Museum  at  Calcutta,  has  received 
skins  of  both  sexes  from  Yunan  and  Upper  Bur  mail,  where 
it  is  not  rare,  the  plumes  being  worn  by  the  natives. 

The  only  account  of  the  habits  of  this  beautiful  species 
in  a  wild  state  occurs  in  a  letter  from  Monsieur  Carreau, 
a  French  missionary  in  Thibet,  to  the  Paris  Acclimatization 
Society.  He  states  : — "  The  pheasant  Houa-ze-Kt/,  the  Flower 
Pheasant  of  the  Chinese,  always  inhabits  very  rocky  places. 
Whenever  I  have  seen  this  bird  flying  upwards,  I  have 
always  been  able  to  shoot  it;  but  if  it  was  descending,  I 
could  not  procure  it,  for  then  it  disappeared  with  excessive 
rapidity.  After  having  pursued  it  several  times,  I  have 
found  it  more  convenient  to  obtain  it  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  natives,  who  lay  in  wait  for  it  during  the  winter 
and  catch  it  in  snares.  When  the  mountains  are  covered 
with  snow,  and  the  streams  frozen,  the  Flower  Pheasants 
are  obliged  to  descend  to  the  plains  for  water,  but  as  soon 
as  they  are  satisfied  they  ascend  again.  In  the  paths  these 
birds  follow  each  other  in  a  line ;  and  as  they  go  in  flocks, 
and  the  snares  are  few  in  number,  the  Chinese  do  not  make 
much  from  the  plumage  and  flesh  of  this  beautiful  pheasant. 
Ta-lin-pin  is  situated  in  the  29th  degree  of  latitude  N.,  and 
the  102nd  degree  of  longitude  E. :  the  heat  of  these  places 
is  very  great,  as  they  are  surrounded  by  high  mountains, 
and  with  very  little  vegetation.  The  mountains  are  covered 
with    brambles,    briars,    and    thorns,    and    also    with    grassy 


218         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

places ;  in  these  spots  the  Amherst  Pheasant  is  met  with  in 
abundance.  It  is  an  error  to  think  that,  like  other  pheasants, 
it  is  met  with  in  the  forests ;  I  have  never  found  it  there,  and 
HS  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ta-lin-pin  it  only  exists  where 
there  are  no  forests,  I  doubt  very  much  if  bushy  tracts  are 
to  its  liking.  The  more  rocky  and  desolate  the  mountains, 
the  more  certain  are  you  to  find  the  Flower  Pheasants,  in 
companies  composed  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  individuals. 

"  The  habits  and  economy  of  the  Amherst  Pheasant 
naturally  accord  with  the  places  in  which  it  delights  ;  it  is  an 
extremely  Avild  bird.  Last  year  I  kept  one  of  these 
pheasants  in  a  stable  covered  with  straw ;  it  hid  itself  so 
frequently  and  so  well  that  once  I  was  more  than  fifteen 
days  in  the  belief  that  it  was  dead.  I  fed  it  with  bread  and 
rice,  and  it  became  very  fat.  If  this  bird  should  be  intro- 
duced into  Europe,  it  would  be  useless  to  endeavour  to  make 
it  comfortable,  if  it  has  not  in  the  aviary  some  place  where, 
at  the  least  noise,  it  can  hide  itself,  otherwise  I  doubt  if  it 
can  be  preserved.  I  think,  from  the  temperature  of  the 
mountains  it  inhabits,  that  the  climate  of  France  would  be 
suitable  for  the  Flower  Pheasant.  These  particulars 
respecting  the  Lady  Amherst's  Pheasants  are  perfectly 
exact,  since  I  have  myself  frequently  hunted,  captured,  fed, 
and  raised  them.  They  would  increase  easilv  in  Europe, 
provided  they  were  not  too  much  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  and  that  shrubs  were  grown  in  the  aviary  to  allow  their 
hiding  when  frightened." 

The  breeding  of  the  Amherst  Pheasant  offers  no  diflicnlty, 
provided  it  be  attempted  under  natural  conditions,  and  not  in 
the  close  pens,  and  stifling,  vermin-haunted  hatching-houses 
that  are  characteristic  of  some  of  our  zoological  collections. 
Not  only  has  the  pure  race  been  increased,  but  the  males 
have  also  bred  freely  with  the  hens  of  the  Gold  Pheasant 
[Thaunialea  picta),  and  produced  hybrids  which  are  of 
surpassing  beauty.  At  the  sale  of  the  surplus  stock  in  the 
Zoological  Gardens  at  Antwerp  in  1872,  a  single  male  hybrid 


THE  AMHERST  PHEASANT.  219 

of  this  kind,  in  full  plumaare,  realised  Sbl.  The  cross-bred 
specimens  combine  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  most  attractive 
features  of  the  two  species  from  which  they  are  derived,  and 
are  unquestionably  far  more  beautiful  than  either  ;  compared 
with  them  the  pure  bred  Amherst  looks  pallid,  and  the  Gold 
Pheasant  wants  the  beautiful  contrast  of  the  white  neck 
tippet  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  green  and  blue. 

The  crest  is  fully  developed,  being  larger  than  in  either 
parent  species;  in  colour  it  is  a  brilliant  scarlet  orange.  The 
neck  tippet  is  white,  margined  with  brilliant  dark  green, 
resembling  that  of  the  Amherst,  but  considerably  more 
developed.  The  iris,  which  is  white  in  the  latter  species,  is 
of  a  pale  straw  colour  in  the  hybrids,  as  is  the  naked  skin 
under  the  eye.  The  neck  under  the  tippet,  as  well  as  the 
throat,  is  a  resplendent  green.  The  breast,  which  in  the 
Amherst  is  white,  is  a  brilliant  scarlet  orange,  with  a  narrow 
transverse  band  of  lighter  yellow  about  an  inch  below  the 
margin  of  the  green  feathers  of  the  throat.  The  flanks  are 
of  the  same  colour  as  the  breast.  The  back  is  yellow, 
running  into  the  bright  scarlet  orange  of  the  tail  coverts  and 
side  sickle  feathers.  The  wing  coverts  are  of  a  magnificent 
dark  steel  blue.  In  all  the  characters  mentioned,  the 
hybrids  possess  the  most  gorgeous  hues  of  the  two  species 
conjoined.  The  tail,  however,  is  an  exception  ;  that  of  the 
Amherst  is  certainly  more  beautiful  than  that  of  the  Gold, 
which  latter,  however,  appears  almost  unchanged  in  the 
cross-breeds,  but  of  somewhat  increased  size.  As,  however, 
in  the  so-called  species  Thaumalea  ohscura,  the  tail  of  the 
Gold  tends  to  vary  towards  the  markings  of  that  of  the 
Amherst,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  throat  to  assume  a 
spangled  character,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  breeding 
this  cross  with  the  Amherst  tail.  The  cross-breeds  are 
remarkably  tame,  feeding  readily  out  of  the  hand. 

Mr.  Elliot,  in  his  monograph  of  the  Phasianidce,  gives  a 
life-sized  coloured  plate  of  this  hybrid,  and  acknowledges 
that  "  in  size  and  brilliancy  of  dress  he   eclipses  "  both  the 


220         PHEASANTS  FOR  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

parent  species,  adding  :  "  Contrary  to  my  intention  of  not 
figuring  any  hybrid  pheasants,  I  have  been  induced  to  show 
this  one,  merely  from  its  great  beauty  and  the  comparative 
rarity  of  at  least  one  of  its  parents ;  but  at  the  same  time  I 
cannot  but  believe  that  all  those  who  breed  pheasants, 
either  for  pleasure  or  profit,  would  best  consult  their  own 
interests  by  keeping  their  birds  as  pure  in  blood  as  possible, 
allowing  no  foreign  strain  to  intermingle,  and  resolutely 
setting  their  faces  against  even  such  a  magnificent  impostor 
as  here  offers  himself  for  our  admiration."  I  quote  this 
passage  as  illustrative  of  the  beauty  of  the  birds,  although  I 
differ  entirely  from  the  conclusions  arrived  at  by  the  writer. 
There  can  be  no  possible  doubt  of  the  perfect  fertility  of  the 
half-bred  Amhersts.  Mated  with  the  pure  Amherst,  three- 
quarter  pure-bred  birds  are  the  result ;  these  show  very  little 
trace  of  the  Golden  species.  The  half-bred  Gold  and  Amherst 
are  equally  fertile  when  mated  with  one  another,  and  an 
intermediate  breed  may  be  perpetuated,  which  possesses  the 
united  beauties  of  both  parent  species,  and  be  perfectly 
permanent  in  its  characters. 

The  perpetuation  of  permanent  races  produced  by  the 
union  of  two  perfectly  distinct  species  is  well  known  to  all 
who  do  not  wilfully  shut  their  eyes  to  those  facts  which  do 
not  squai-e  with  their  theories.  The  late  Mr.  E.  Blyth,  a 
most  accurate  observer,  and  whose  knowledge  of  species  was 
unsurpassed,  informed  me  that  over  a  large  extent  of  India 
no  other  domestic  goose  is  known  except  the  cross  between 
the  Chinese  species,  the  Anscr  cygnoides,  and  the  domesticated 
variety  of  the  grey-lag,  Anser  ferns. 

In  the  case  of  the  true  pheasants,  P.  colcliicus,  P. 
torquatus,  and  P.  versicolor,  every  variety  of  interbreeding 
takes  place,  and  the  intermediate  forms  can  be  perpetuated 
as  may  be  desired ;  or,  as  was  originally  the  case  with  the  P. 
versicolor  in  this  country,  the  pure  breed  can  be  established 
from  a  single  individual. 

Most  naturalists  maintain  that  these  three  pheasants  are 


THE  AMHERST  PHEASANT.  221 

perfectly  good  species ;  but  what  is  the  test  o£  a  species  ? 
For  my  own  part,  I  am  suflBciently  heterodox  in  my  belief  to 
regard  all  the  true  restricted  pheasants,  such  as  P.  colchicus, 
versicolor,  torquatus,  shaicii,  mongolictis,  elegans,  &c.,  as  mere 
geographical  variations  of  one  type,  capable  of  breeding 
together  and  perpetuating  any  cross  that  it  may  please 
experimenters  to  produce  ;  and  in  the  same  manner  the  two 
species  of  the  genus  Thaumalea,  namely,  the  Gold  and  Amherst 
pheasants,  may  be  regarded  as  geographical  races  capable  of 
yielding  a  permanent  race  intermediate  between  the  two. 

These  views,  which  I  maintained  at  the  time  of  the  publica- 
tion of  the  first  edition  of  this  work  in  1873,  have  been  fully 
borne  out  by  later  experience.  In  March,  1881,  Mr.  A.  D. 
Bartlett,  the  superintendent  of  the  Zoological  Gardens,  wrote 
to  me  :  "  The  hybrid  Amherst  and  Gold  pheasants  breed  freely 
inter  se ;  but,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  inmost  cases  the  breeders 
have  been  breeding  the  half-bred  hens  with  the  pure  Amherst 
males,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  as  near  as  possible  the 
characters  of  the  pure  Amherst ;  and  this  is  very  quickly 
accomplished,  for  in  the  third  generation  all  traces  of  the 
Gold  pheasant  are  lost,  or  nearly  so.^^ 

The  late  Mr.  Home,  writing  to  me  in  1879,  said  :  "With 
regard  to  the  Gold  and  Amherst  pheasants  being  tui-ned  out 
by  landed  proprietors,  I  know  of  a  place  in  Ireland  where 
there  are  large  numbers  of  these  birds  breeding  together  in 
a  wild  state,  and  some  of  the  crosses  are  very  beautiful. 
There  is  also  an  estate  in  Scotland  where  Amhersts  have 
been  at  liberty  for  years,  and  the  owner  wrote  me  they  kept 
their  own  quarters,  not  allowing  the  other  pheasants  to 
interfere  with  them.  I  agree  with  you  that  it  is  a  pity  more 
of  these  birds  are  not  turned  out,  as  they  form  a  great 
attraction  to  pleasure  grounds.  The  easiest  way  to  bring  it 
about  is  to  place  a  brood  or  two  under  hens  in  the  kitchen 
garden ;  and,  as  they  become  fully  grown,  they  naturally  fly 
to  the  adjoining  trees,  and  continue  to  hang  about  the  place 
afterwards." 


CHAPTER   XX. 


PHEASA^^TS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    AYIARY 
(CONTINUED). 


THE  SILVER  PHEASANT    {EUPLOCAMUS   NYCTHE- 
MERUS)   AND   ALLIED    SPECIES. 

J^pm,  NDER  the  name  of  Euplocamns  mjcthemerus  the 
JIlM^ll^  Silver  Pheasaut  has  been  known  to  naturalists 
4(^?"  since  the  time  of  Linnasus.  In  the  earlier  works 
%^^  on  natural  history,  such  as  that  of  Albin,  published  in 
1y  1738,  and  Edwards,  in  1751,  it  was  termed  the  Black 
\  and  White  Chinese  pheasant,  which  name  was  employed 
by  Buffon;  it  was  also  termed  the  Pencilled  and  Lineated 
Pheasant,  and  by  Temminck,  the  Faisan  hicolor. 

Its  native  locality  was  first  definitely  ascertained  by 
Consul  Swinhoe,  who  informs  us  that  it  inhabits  the  wooded 
hills  in  the  interior  of  southern  China.  Writing  to  Mr. 
Elliot,  he  states  :  "  This  bird  is  known  to  the  Chinese  as  the 
Pih  Heen,  and  it  is  one  of  those  which  are  embroidered  upon 
the  heart-and-back  badges  of  the  official  dresses  of  the  civil 
Mandarins  to  denote  the  rank  of  the  wearers.  So  far  as  I 
have  ascertained,  it  is  found  in  the  wooded  mountains  of 
the  following  provinces  :  Fokein,  Canton,  Kwangse,  and 
Kweichou.  It  is  brought  to  Canton  city  from  the  province 
of  Kwangse  by  the  west  river,  and  offered  alive  in  the  shops 
for  sale.  All  the  birds  I  have  seen  so  offered  have  been 
captured;  I  do  not  think  the  Chinese  had  the  bird  in  con- 
finement.    A  friend  of  mine  shot  one  in  some  woods,  in  the 


THE  SILVER  PHEASANT.  223 

mountains  about  100  miles  from  Amoy  (Province  Fokein), 
but  I  have  never  met  with  the  species  in  my  rambles." 

In  his  recent  handbook  on  Game  Birds,  Mr.  W.  Ogilvie- 
Graut  writes:  "^  According  to  the  Abbe  David  the  Silver 
Pheasant  is  becoming  very  rare  in  a  wild  state,  and  is  only 
found  in  South  China,  towards  the  North  of  Fokien,  and 
perhaps  in  Chekiang.  He  says  that  most  of  the  Golden 
and  Silver  pheasants  that  one  sees  at  Shanghai  come  from 
Japan,  where  these  two  Chinese  species  are  reared  in  captivity. 
The  Silver  Pheasant  is  known  in  China  by  the  names  of  Ing-ky 
(Silver  Fowl)  and  Pae-ky  (White  Fowl).  Very  little  indeed 
is  known  of  the  habits  of  this  extremely  fine  species  in  a  wild 
state,  though  it  has  long  been  one  of  the  commonest  aviary 
birds.  The  males  are,  unfortunately,  so  extremely  pugnacious 
and  such  big  heavy  birds  that  they  light  with,  and  often  kill, 
any  other  male  pheasant  living  in  the  same  aviary,  and  for 
this  i-eason  must  be  kept  separate." 

From  their  large  size,  commanding  appearance,  and  the 
beauty  of  the  markings.  Silver  Pheasants  have  long  been 
favourites  in  our  aviaries.  They  have  the  additional  recom- 
mendation of  being  exceedingly  hardy,  of  laying  freely  in 
captivity,  and  of  being  easy  to  rear  when  young.  They  also 
become  perfectly  tame,  feeding  freely  from  the  hand.  These 
birds  could  be  readily  domesticated,  if  it  were  thought 
desirable  to  do  so.  I  have  known  several  instances  where 
they  have  been  allowed  to  run  at  full  liberty,  and  have  seen 
the  birds  sufficiently  tame  to  come  and  stand  before  a  window, 
waiting  for  their  accustomed  treat  at  the  hands  of  the  members 
of  the  family.  The  hens,  though  not  usually  allowed  to  do 
so,  will  readily  hatch  their  own  eggs,  and  attend  upon  their 
chickens  with  all  the  care  of  common  fowls.  I  have  recently 
seen  a  pair  belonging  to  Mr.  Clarence  Bartlett,  in  a  moderate- 
sized  aviary,  the  hen  of  which  had  laid,  hatched,  and  was 
rearing  a  strong,  healthy  brood  of  young,  the  cock  being- 
active  in  defence  of  his  family,  and  attacking  most  viciously 
any  person  going  into  the  inclosure.     No  game  cock  could  be 


224  PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

more  determined  or  courageous  in  his  behaviour;  and  the 
sharp  spurs  with  which  this  species  is  armed  render  his- 
assault  a  thing  to  be  avoided,  as  he  Avould  fly  at  the  face  of 
the  intruder  on  his  domain. 

From  the  readiness  with  which  the  Silver  Pheasants  can 
be  domesticated  and  reared  among  the  other  denizens  of  tha 
poultry  yard,  they  occasionally  escape  into  the  coverts  and 
become  wild,  under  which  conditions  they  breed  freely.  They 
are  not,  however,  desirable  additions,  either  to  our  limited 
stock  of  game  birds,  or,  though  exceedingly  ornamental,  to 
our  very  restricted  number  of  domestic  poultry,  inasmuch  as 
they  are  exceedingly  pugnacious,  driving  away  all  the  true 
pheasants  from  the  preserves,  fighting  with  the  fowls,  killing 
the  young  chickens  in  the  poultry  yard,  and  not  even  hesitating 
to  attack  dogs,  children,  and  even  grown-up  persons  during 
the  breeding  season.  When  wild  they  are  flushed  w4tli 
difficulty,  and  on  the  wing  they  have  been  rightly  charac- 
tei-ised  as  being  most  unsatisfactory  from  a  sporting  point  of 
view,  flying  dangerously  low,  in  a  horizontal  direction  but  a. 
few  feet  from  the  ground. 

With  regard  to  their  edible  qualities  I  can  speak  very 
positively,  as  I  have  had  specimens  that  have  been  shot  in  the 
coverts  cooked  as  pheasants,  and  found  them  destitute  of  the 
flavour  ot  game,  and  altogether  of  very  inferior  quality.  The 
flesh  was  white,  and  although  the  bird  had  been  well  hung, 
exceedingly  firm. 

A  correspondent  informs  me  that  he  has  "  reared  several 
Silver  Pheasants  in  confinement,  and  has  turned  them  out 
about  the  grounds.  The  males  are  exceedingly  tame,  but  also 
exceedingly  dangerous.  Last  year  I  had  a  lovely  specimen, 
which  used  to  feed  at  the  window  of  the  breakfast-room  with 
the  peafowl  and  other  birds,  and  even  knock  ac  the  glass  and 
make  its  way  into  the  room.  But  in  the  spring,  when  hatching 
was  going  on,  he  attacked  ladies  and  children  in  the  most 
determined  manner,  always  flying  at  the  face.  He  would 
dodge  people  walking,  and  make  his  appearance  from  under 


THE  SILVER  PHEASANT.  225 

the  bushes  in  a  very  unexpected  manner.  On  one  occasion 
he  knocked  a  lady  down,  and  on  another  occasion  entered  th& 
drawing-room  and  attacked  a  lady  who  Avas  sitting  there.'* 

Another  writer  says  : — "  I  have  for  many  years  had'  a! 
score  of  thetn  running  loose  with  the  poultry — two  cocks,  one 
an  old  one,  the  other  a  young  one  of  last  year,  just  getting 
into  full  plumage ;  the  others  are  hens.  In  bad  weather  and 
in  winter  they  roost  in  the  poultry  house,  at  other  times  in  the- 
trees.  The  males  are  most  pugnacious  and  jealous,  fighting; 
and  bullying  the  fowls — so  much  so  that  I  am  obliged  to  hav&- 
their  spurs  cut  off — and  the  hens  very  spiteful  to  young 
poultry.  The  others  I  have  shut  up,  otherwise  they  would 
fight  until  they  killed  each  other.  In  the  breeding  time  they 
are  shur  up  in  large  pens. 

''  I  have  frequently  had  the  hens  sit  on  and  hatch  tbeir 
eggs  ;  when  they  have  young  ones,  if  nnyone  goes  near  tliem^ 
they  act  like  partridges.  I  have  seen  them  charge  dogs  and 
drive  them  away.  I  have  also  seen  a  cock  watching  a  fox 
stalking  him,  and  when  the  fox  made  his  rush  the  bird  flew 
over  him,  but  lost  his  tail.  To  show  how  severely  they  can 
make  these  spurs  tell,  one  of  my  keepers  kicked  at  an  old 
Silver  cock  pheasant  to  drive  hira  away,  when  the  bird  turned 
on  him  and  sent  his  spur  right  through  his  boot.  They  are 
quite  as  bad  as  peafowls  in  a  kitchen  garden  ;  they  will  eat 
all  the  fruit.  They  are  not  very  good  biids  for  the  table, 
but  tliey  are  useful  as  being  eatable  in  February  and  March.'' 

The  Silver  Pheasant  is  a  long-lived  bird,  even  in  confine- 
ment. Mr.  Thompson,  in  his  ''Natural  History  of  Ireland," 
states  that  he  has  known  one  live  twenty-one  or  twenty-two 
years  in  captivity. 

The  male,  without  possessing  the  gorgeous  colouration  of 
many  of  the  Phasianidce,  is  a  very  beautiful  bird.  The  face  is 
entirely  covered  with  a  bright  vermillion  skin,  which  during 
the  spring  becomes  excessively  brilliant,  and  is  greatly- 
increased  in  size,  so  as  to  almost  resemble  the  comb  and  wattles- 
of  a  cock  ;  the  flowing  crest  is  blue-black,  the  bill  light  green^ 

'4 


2'2G         PHEASANTS  FOB  COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

The  upper  part  of  the  bodj^  is  white,  pencilled  with  the  most 
delicate  tracery  of  black.  The  whole  of  the  under  parts  are 
"bluish-black,  the  legs  and  feet  red,  the  spurs  well-developed 
and  usually  very  sharp.  The  female  is  smaller  than  the  male; 
her  general  colour  is  brown,  mottled  with  a  dai-ker  tint ;  the 
crest  and  tail  are  much  less  ample  than  those  of  the  cock  ;  the 
outer  tail  feathers  are  light,  marked  with  black  on  the  outer 
webs.  The  female  iu  confinement  usually  lays  from  eight  to 
fourteen  eggs,  and  the  young  are  most  easily  reared  under  a 
common  fowl. 

The  genus  Euflocamus,  to  which  the  Silver  Pheasant 
belongs,  includes  several  species.  They  are  distinguished 
from  the  true  pheasants  by  the  crest,  by  the  more  fowl-like 
form  of  the  tail,  and  by  the  males  (and  sometimes  even  the 
females)  being  strongly  and  sharply  spurred.  The  common 
species,  the  kaleege  or  kalij  of  India,  breed  very  freely,  even 
in  confinement,  but  are  not  adapted  for  turning  into  the 
covert,  as  they  rise  with  difficulty,  and  their  flesh  is  not  equal 
for  culinary  pui-poses  to  that  of  the  ordinary  pheasant.  A 
correspondent  writes  : — "  I  have  been  shooting  lately  in 
preserves  where,  amongst  other  game,  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  the  kaleege  on  the  wing.  The  birds  had  been  bred 
under  hens  from  eggs  taken  from  old  birds  in  a  mew,  treated 
in  the  same  manner  as  pheasants,  and  were  at  this  time — the 
last  week  in  December — practically  as  wild  as  the  pheasants 
in  the  same  coverts.  A  more  unsporting-looking  bii-d  on  the 
wing  1  never  met  with,  or  a  more  unsatisfactory  one  to  knock 
down.  Its  flight  is  low,  never  rising  more  than  eight  or  ten 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  therefore  in  a  line  with  everybody's 
head,  consequently  a  most  dangerous  bird  in  a  hattue.  Its 
flight  is  more  like  that  of  a  coot  or  moorhen  than  any  bird  I 
know ;  the  slow,  noiseless  flight,  and  the  dark  plumage, 
making  it  very  like  the  former  bird.  It  runs  much  before 
rising — is  very  savage,  driving  away  the  other  game  birds,  and 
is  the  most  unsatisfactory  game  bird  I  ever  saw.  My  friend 
with  whom  I  was  shooting  is  therefore  killing  them  down." 


THE  SILVER  PHEASANT. 


227 


Twelve  different  species  of  kaleege  have  at  various  times 
been  sliown  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  Eegent's  Park.  Of 
these  the  greater  number  have  bred  either  with  their  own 
species,  or  have  produced  hybrids  with  other  Euplocavii. 
Amongst  those  that  breed  the  most  freely  may  be  mentioned 
Swinhoe^s  pheasant  {JE.  swinhoii),  the  purple  kaleege  {E. 
horsfeldi),  the  black-backed  kaleege  {E  melanotus) ,  and  the 
white-crested  {E.  Albo-cristatns) .  The  different  species  of 
Euplocami  hybridise  together  even  in  a  wild  state,  and  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  rearing  a  very  large  series  of  hybrids  in 
captivity. 


AOof'^-HK 


q2 


CHAPTEE  XXI. 


PHEASANTS  ADAPTED  TO  THE  AVIARY 
(CONTINUED). 


I 


THE  EARED   PHEASANT    {CR0S80PTIL0N 
MANTCRURIGUM). 

F  the  remarkable  group  of  birds  known  as  the  Eared 
Pheasants,  constituting  the  genus  Crossoptilon,  five 
species  are  known,  though  only  two,  the  Mant- 
churian  [C.  mantchiiricum)  and  the  white  Tibet 
species  (C  tibetanum)  have  been  received  in  Europe 
in  a  living  state. 
The  Eared  Pheasants  differ  in  many  very  essential  particu- 
lars from  the  more  common  species.  Both  sexes  are  alike  in 
plumage,  and  are  only  to  be  distinguished  by  the  presence  of 
spurs  on  the  legs  of  the  males.  The  large  size  and  peculiar 
character  of  the  tail  coverts  separate  them  from  any  allied 
group.  The  first  specimens  seen  alive  were  presented  to  the 
Zoological  Society  by  Mr.  Dudley  E.  Saurin,  in  1866 ;  since 
that  time  others  have  been  imported,  and  a  considerable 
number  have  been  bred  in  this  country  and  on  the  continent. 
The  Mantchurian  Eared  Pheasant  is  more  remarkable  for 
the  singular  arrangement  of  its  plumage  than  for  brilliancy 
of  colouring,  in  this  latter  respect  not  approaching  the 
gorgeous  hues  of  the  true  pheasants,  or  many  of  the  closely- 
allied  birds.  The  general  colour  of  the  body  is  a  sombre 
brown ;  the  true  tail  feathers  are  white,  with  dark  tips  ;  but 
the  bird  derives  its  remarkable  appearance  from  its  large  size 
and  the  peculiar  character  of  the  tail  coverts,  which   spring 


THE  EARED  PHEASANT.  229 

from  the  lower  part  of  the  back,  and  in  great  part  obscure 
the  true  tail.  These  tail  coverts  are  white,  and  have  the 
barbs  separated,  so  that  they  form  an  elegant  appendage  to 
the  body.  The  legs  and  feet  of  the  Eared  Pheasant  are  red 
in  colour,  and  of  true  scratching  or  rasorial  type,  the  claws 
being  bluntly  curved,  like  those  of  the  common  fowl.  The 
head  is  very  striking  in  its  general  appearance ;  the  vaulted 
beak  is  of  a  pale  fleshy  white,,  contrasting  strongly  with  the 
red  skin  of  the  face,  which  again  is  thrown  into  prominence 
by  the  white  feathers  that  constitute  the  so-called  ears  of  the 
bird. 

Consul  Swinhoe  states  that,  "this  bir<J  is  found  in  the 
hills  north  of  Pekin,  in  Mantchuria,  and  brought  in  winter  to 
Pekin  in  large  numbers,  both  alive  and  dead.  It  is  called  by 
the  natives  the  Ho-ke.  The  feathers  of  this  bird  were  formerly 
worn  by  Tartar  warriors.  I  have  not  seen  the  species  in  its 
wild  state.'' 

Pere  David  informs  us  that  these  birds  frequent  the 
woods  of  high  mountains,  and  that  they  subsist  much  more 
upon  green  vegetables,  leaves  of  trees,  and  succulent  roots 
than  upon  grain.  In  their  habits  they  are  more  gregarious 
than  the  common  pheasants,  assembling  together  in  flocks  of 
considerable  size.  In  domestication  they  become  exceedingly 
tame,  feeding  readily  from  the  hand.  When  at  large  they 
appear  remarkably  hardy  ;  they  breed  when  only  one  year  old, 
and  acquire  their  adult  plumage  at  the  first  autumnal  moult. 

They  possess  the  very  rare  instinct  of  domestication.  I 
have  seen  specimens  at  Mr.  Stone's  residence  in  the  Welsh 
hills  as  familiar  as  barn-door  fowls.  In  the  closely-confined 
pens  in  our  Zoological  Gardens  their  increase  has  not  been 
very  rapid,  but  they  have  proved  themselves  as  hardy  and 
prolific  as  common  turkeys  would  have  been  if  placed 
under  similar  disadvantageous  circumstances.  Mr.  Bartlett 
writes  :  "  Of  the  Crossoptilon  we  have  reared  nine  fine  birds 
the  second  hatch,  having  lost  by  the  gapes  the  first  brood  of 
seven." 


230       PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

By  placing  a  young  brood  in  a  large  walled-in  garden, 
where  they  could  obtain  abundance  of  fresh  vegetables  and 
insect  food,  they  should  offer  no  more  difficulty  in  rearing 
than  barn-door  fowls;  all  they  would  require  would  be 
custard  and  lettuce  in  addition  to  ants'  eggs,  if  obtainable  ; 
but  fed  on  dry  hard  corn,  and  kept  in  small  aviaries  with 
brick  floors,  success  is  not  to  be  expected. 

Of  the  allied  species,  Hodgson's  Crossoptilon  (C.  tibeta- 
num)  three  specimens  were  living  in  the  Zoological  Gardens 
in  1891.  In  this  the  general  colour  is  bluish-white,  but  the 
crown  of  the  head  is  black,  the  Avings  dark,  and  the  tail  black 
crossed  with  green  and  blue.     It  is  a  native  of  Tibet. 

Under  the  name  of  C.  drouynii,  a  species  very  closely 
allied,  if,  indeed,  it  be  not  identical  with  the  last,  has  been 
described  and  named  by  M.  Verraux,  and  figured  in  Elliot's 
Phasianidge. 

The  original  Eared  Pheasant  described  by  Pallas  was  a 
slaty-blue  species.  Pallas's  specimens  have  long  been  lost, 
but  recently,  owing  to  the  indefatigable  exertions  of  Pere 
David,  skins  have  been  received  at  the  Museum  at  Paris,  and 
the  original  G.  auritum  is  now  known  to  be  perfectly  distinct 
from  the  Mantchurian  species,  with  which  we  are  most  familiar 
in  the  living  state. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    AVIARY 
(CONTINUED). 


THE   IMPEYAN   PHEASANT    {LOPHOPHORUS 
IMPEYANUS). 

HE  Monaul,  or  Impeyan  Pheasant,  is  one  of  the 
most  gorgeous  birds  ;  the  wonderful  metallic 
brilliance  of  its  plumage,  "  gleaming  in  purple  and 
gold/'  never  fails  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
spectator.  In  the  Zoological  Gardens  it  has  bred 
frequently,  but  a  native  of  the  Himalas,  seldom  descend- 
ing far  below  the  snow  line,  and  suffering  from  the  heat 
of  summer,  is  not  likely  to  succeed  on  the  London  clay. 
During  the  life  of  my  friend,  Mr.  J.  J.  Stone,  I  saw  at  large 
on  the  Welsh  Hills  Impeyan  Pheasants  as  tame  as  the  other 
poultry,  and  I  have  little  doubt  but  that  in  suitable  localities, 
as  in  the  North  of  Scotland,  this  magnificent  bird  might  be 
introduced  to  advantage  either  as  a  domestic  or  wild  bird. 

Should  it  be  thought  desirable  to  try  the  experiment  in 
any  appropriate  locality,  this  can  only  be  done  by  a  con- 
sideration of  their  habits  in  a  wild  state,  and  I  have  there- 
fore great  pleasure  in  quoting  the  following  ftom  the  late 
Colonel  Tickell,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  birds  in 
their  natural  haunts  : — 

''  The  Monaul  ranges  high  in  the  mountains  where  it  is 
found,  keeping  uear  the  line  of  snow;  and  although  met 
with  in  the  ridges  next  the  plains,  becomes  much  more 
numerous  farther  in  the  mountains.     It  frequents  the  entire 


232        PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

range  of  the  Himala,  from  Afglianistan  to  Sikhim.  Its  range 
in  elevation  varies  according  to  season,  but  in  the  severest 
winter  it  does  not  appear  to  descend  below  6000  feet  above 
:sea  level.  I  have  seen  numbers  in  Nepal  in  winter,  brought 
with  other  kinds  of  pheasants  by  the  Botias  for  sale  in  the 
plains  of  India,  where  they  soon  perish  when  the  hot  weather 
begins. 

"  They  are  forest  birds,  and  difficult  to  be  found  in 
;summer  when  vegetation  is  profuse,  unless  by  ascending  to 
the  highest  limits  of  the  forest,  when  shots  may  be  obtained 
in  the  open  downs  above,  and  amongst  the  rocks  and  thin 
herbage  near  the  snow.  In  autumn,  as  the  underwood 
decays,  they  descend  and  scatter  through  the  woods,  some- 
times in  great  numbers,  and  seek  lower  levels  as  the  winter 
.advances  and  the  soil  becomes  frozen.  At  such  times  they 
draw  near  to  the  small  villages,  perched  on  the  lower  spurs 
and  above  the  sheltered  valleys,  and  seek  their  food  in  the 
fields,  where  the  mountaineers,  with  their  large  hoes  have 
dug  up  the  soil.  In  these  seasonal  migrations  it  has  been 
remarked  that  the  females  and  young  birds  descend  lowest 
and  approach  nearest  to  human  habitations. 

"They  appear  to  be  either  capricious  in  their  rambles 
through  the  woods,  or  are  actuated  to  particular  spots  at 
particular  times  for  reasons  not  apparent.  Sometimes  the 
sportsman  will  put  up  in  one  part  of  the  forest  fifteen  or 
twenty  in  the  space  of  four  or  five  acres.  In  another  portion 
Tie  may  keep  on  flushing  for  the  rest  of  the  day  single  birds, 
feeding  in  solitude,  far  apart.  At  no  time  are  they  gregarious, 
and  whenever  alarmed  they  rise  and  escape  independently 
of  each  other.  In  some  parts  only  cock  birds  are  found,  in 
others  only  hens. 

''  Severity  of  cold  and  scarceness  of  food  have  their 
taming  effect  on  the  Monaul,  as  on  other  birds,  and  the  lower 
the  snow  the  easier  the  task  of  making  a  bag.  When  on  the 
wing,  it  generally  flies  a  long  way,  and  if  much  alarmed 
crosses  over  to  a  parallel  ridge.     Occasionally,   however,  it 


THE  IMPEYAN  PHEASANT.  233 

will  settle  on  the  low  limb  of  a  tree,  at  no  great  distance, 
and  once  there,  it  is,  like  many  other  gallinaceous  hirds,  easy 
of  access. 

"  Sometimes  when  approached  in  open  spots  it  walks  off, 
or  begins  to  run,  stopping  often  and  eyeing  the  intruder,  till 
suddenly,  and  without  apparent  immediate  cause,  it  will  rise 
with  a  startling  flapping  or  flutter  of  the  wings,  scattering 
the  dead  leaves  in  a  shower  ai-ound,  and  fly  headlong  into  the 
wood  with  a  succession  of  short,  piercing,  shrieking  whistles, 
which  appear  to  act  as  a  warning  to  some  distant  companions, 
for  their  calls  are  often  heard  in  reply.  When  feeding 
quietly  and  in  security  the  Monaul  has  a  sweet  mellow  call — a 
long  plaintive  note — which  it  utters  from  time  to  time, 
■especially  of  a  morning  and  after  sunset.  It  has  the  same 
melancholy  effect  on  the  ear  as  the  creaking  whistle  of  the 
€urleAv  winging  his  way  along  the  mudflats  as  evening  settles 
over  the  lonely  shore.  The  call  has  a  rather  melancholy- 
sound,  or  it  may  be  that  as  the  shades  of  a  dreary  winter's 
•evening  begin  to  close  on  the  snow-covered  hills  around,  the 
cold  and  cheerless  aspect  of  nature,  with  which  it  seems  quite 
in  unison,  makes  it  appear  so. 

"The  Monaul  breeds  towards  the  end  of  spring.  The 
•courtship  is  carried  on  in  the  chestnut  and  large  timber 
forests  before  the  birds  ascend,  during  the  summer  heats, 
towards  the  regions  of  perpetual  snow.  It  is  generally  near 
the  upper  limits  of  these  forests,  where  the  trees  are  dwarfed 
and  sparingly  scattered,  that  the  hen  lays  and  incubates 
three  to  five  eggs,  in  a  depression  on  the  ground.  The  eggs 
are  of  a  dull  cream  or  pale  buff  colour,  sprinkled  with 
reddish  brown.  Like  most  gallinaceous  birds,  the  Monaul 
may  be  said  to  be  omnivorous.  Those  I  have  had  in  confine- 
ment ate  rice  and  grain  readily,  as  well  as  insects,  worms, 
maggots,  flesh,  lizards,  fish,  eggs,  &c.  It  is  a  diligent  digger, 
and  the  slightly  expanded  tip  of  the  mandible  acts  like  a  hoe 
or  shovel.  I  had  sevei'al  of  these  birds  in  an  aviary  at  Mullye, 
in  Tirhoot.     They  were  strong  and  vigorous  as  long  as  the 


234        PHEASANTS  FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 


cold  weather  lasted,  and  soon  became  tame,  and  did  not 
succumb  to  the  atmosphere  of  the  plains  till  June,  when  the 
rains  had  set  in.  Unlike  the  smaller  hill  pheasants,  they  were- 
not  pugnacious.  If  shipped  off  early  in  the  cold  weather 
from  Calcutta,  these  birds  could  easily  enough  be  transported 
to  England,  where  the  temperature  would  suit  them,  if  there 
were  any  means  of  giving  them  shelter  during  the  extreme- 
severity  of  winter,  or  of  procuring  for  them  in  that  season  a 
proper  substitute  for  the  insect  food  which  never  fails  them 
on  the  lower  elevations  of  the  Himala.  If  they  could  become- 
as  thoroughly  accliinated  as  the  common  pheasant,  they 
would  indeed  be  a  superb  ornament  to  our  parks  and  planta- 
tions, though  perhaps  no  great  acquisition  to  the  table.  It  is- 
many  years  ago  since  I  tasted  the  Monaul,  and,  speaking- 
from  memory,  the  flavour  appeared  to  me  much  the  same  as 
that  of  peafowl,  the  breast  being  tender  and  palatable  in  the- 
young  birds,  but  no  part  being  fit  for  anything  but  soup  in 
old  specimens.  The  Monaul  has  bred  in  England,  both  in  the 
Zoological  Gardens  of  London  and  in  the  possession  of  the 
Earl  of  Derby,  where  the  female  is  said  to  have  laid  on  one 
occasion  thirteen  to  fourteen  eggs." 

In  appropriate  localities  there  should  be  little  difficulty  in 
rearing  the  young,  which  should  be  amply  supplied  with 
custard  and  ants'  eggs,  in  preference  to  much  grain,  and  the 
fowl  rearing  them  should  be  allowed  as  much  freedom  as- 
possible,  in  order  that  she  may  supply  the  young  chicks  witli 
appropriate  insect  food. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  the  two  sexes  and 
young  : — "  The  bill  of  the  male  is  dusky  brown  or  horny ;  iris 
sombre  brown  ;  legs  gi-eenish  lead  colour ;  naked  orbits ;  small 
blue  head ;  crest  and  throat  green,  and  highly  metallic ;  the 
lanceolate  feathers  on  the  hind  neck  amethystine  or  bright 
purple,  changing  in  lights  into  cupreous  green  with  a  golden 
glance ;  middle  of  the  back  white ;  but  all  the  rest  of  the 
upper  parts,  including  the  upper  tail  coverts,  rich  blue^ 
glancing  with  green  and  purple,  highly  glossed,  the  purple 


THE  IMPEYAN  PHEASANT.  235 

predominating  on  the  back  and  rump,  the  green  on  the  wing 
and  tail  coverts  ;  remiges  plain  black ;  tail  pale  rust  colour ; 
all  under  parts  black,  and  without  gloss.  The  female  is- 
entirely  cinnamon  brown ;  the  feathers  shafted  pale,  and 
irregularly  barred  and  marked  sepia ;  primaries  blackish  ;. 
chin  and  throat  white.  Entire  length  of  the  male,  about 
24  inches  ;  wing,  11 ;  tail,  1\.  The  female  is  a  little  smaller. 
The  young  males  are  at  first  like  the  female,  but  may  be 
distinguished  by  the  black  spots  on  the  chin  and  throat. 
They  assume  the  adult  plumage  gradually,  and  in  irregular 
patches  scattered  over  the  body." 

Mr.  W.  Ogilvie- Grant,  in  his  handbook  of  the  Game 
Birds,  asserts  that  Gould  was  in  error  in  calling  the  common 
Monaul  the  Impeyan  Pheasant,  L.  impeyaouis,  a  name  which 
should  be  applied  to  another  species — the  Chamba  Monaul. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  name  under  which  one  species 
has  been  so  long  known  should  be  transferred  to  another  in 
scientific  catalogues.  There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  under 
the  name  of  Impeyan  Pheasant  the  Monaul  will  long  be 
recognised,  as  little  or  nothing  is  known  of  the  Chamba 
species,  the  female  being  entirely  unknown.  In  addition  to 
this  species  other  Monauls  are  described  by  Mr.  0.  Grant, 
one  named  after  De  L'Huys  from  West  China,  and  another 
after  Dr.  P.  L.  Sclater,  and  he  also  alludes  to  two  varieties  of 
the  Common  Monaul,  which  have  also  been  unnecessarily 
named  as  sub-species. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


PHEASANTS    ADAPTED    TO    THE    AVIARY 
(CONTINUED). 


THE   AEGUS   PHEASANT    {ARGUS 

GIG  ANTE  US). 

HE  Argus  Pheasant,  as  it  was  termed  by  Linnseus,  is 
imdoubteclly  one  of  tlie  most  magnificent  of  the 
family  of  the  pheasants.  Its  native  haunts  are  the 
forests  of  Malacca  and  Siam,  and  it  is  also  found  in 
North-western  Borneo.  It  is  so  extremely  shy  in  its 
habits  that  it  is  rarely,  if  ever,  shot,  even  by  native 
hunters,  who  nevertheless  manage  to  secure  numbers  by 
.snaring  the  birds. 

Mr.  Wallace,  in  his  most  interesting  work  on  the  Malay 
Archipelago,  describes  his  journey  into  the  heart  of  the 
Argus  country,  and,  writing  of  Mount  Ophir,  fifty  miles  east- 
ward of  Malacca,  states  : — 

"  The  place  where  we  first  encamped,  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  being  very  gloomy,  we  chose  another  in  a  kind 
of  swamp,  near  a  stream  overgrown  with  zingiberaceous 
plants,  in  which  a  clearing  was  easily  made.  Here  our  men 
built  two  little  huts  without  sides,  that  would  just  shelter  us 
from  the  i^ain,  and  we  lived  in  bhem  for  a  week,  shooting  and 
insect-hvinting,  and  roaming  about  the  forest  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain.  This  was  the  country  of  the  great  Argus 
Pheasant,  and  we  continually  heard  its  cry.  On  asking  the 
old  Malay  to  try  and  shoot  one  for  me,  he  told  me  that, 
though   he   had   been   twenty  years   shooting  bii'ds   in  these 


THE  ARGUS  PHEASANT.  237 

forests,  lie  liad  never  yet  sliot  one,  and  liad  never  seen  one 
except  after  it  had  been  caught.  The  bird  is  so  exceedingly- 
shy  and  wary,  and  runs  along  the  ground  in  the  densest  parts 
of  the  forest  so  quickly,  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  near  it; 
and  its  sober  colours  and  rich  eye-like  spots,  Avhich  are  so 
ornamental  when  seen  in  a  museum,  must  harmonise  well 
with  the  dead  leaves  among  which  it  dwells,  and  render  it 
very  inconspicuous.  All  the  specimens  sold  in  Malacca  are 
caught  in  snares,  and  my  informant,  though  he  had  shot  none, 
had  snared  plenty." 

The  great  peculiarity  of  the  birds  of  this  genus  is  that  the 
secondary  flight  feathers  of  the  wings  are  excessively  en- 
larged and  lengthened,  being  in  the  males  double  the  length 
of  the  primaries,  and  covered  on  the  outer  webs  w'ith  the 
singular  ocellated  spots  from  whence  the  bird  derives  its 
name.  In  the  male,  also,  the  two  central  tail  feathers  are 
extremely  elongated,  and  project  in  a  very  singular  manner 
beyond  the  others. 

Until  recently  the  Argus  giganteus  was  the  only  known 
species  in  the  genus;  but  another  smaller  Argus  {A.  grayi) 
is  now  known  by  specimens  in  the  British  Museum ; 
and  the  existence  of  one  or  two  others  is  suspected  from 
specimens  of  feathers,  differing  from  those  of  the  known 
species. 

The  great  Argus  is  over  five  feet  in  length,  the  tail  being 
three  feet  eight  inches  long.  The  prevailing  colour  of  the 
plumage  is  ochreous  red  or  brown,  unrelieved  by  any  lively 
or  brilliant  shade.  The  tints  are  distributed  with  so  much 
harmony,  and  covered  with  such  a  profusion  of  small  spots, 
or  even  points,  sometimes  darker  and  sometimes  lighter  than 
the  ground,  that  they  produce  the  most  agreeable  efiFect. 
Its  long  and  broad  secondary  feathers  are  covered  in  their 
entire  length  by  a  row  of  large  eye-like  spots,  closely 
imitating  half  globes  ;  the  colour  of  these,  as  that  of  the 
plumage,  has,  however,  something  resembling  ancient  bronze. 
The  primary  feathers,  with  whitish   external   barbs,  speckled 


-238        PHEASANTS   FOB   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES 

with  brown^  and  with  inner  barbs  of  the  colour  of  a  fallow 
deer,  dotted  with  white,  have  their  shafts  of  the  most 
beautiful  sky  blue.  The  naked  skin  of  the  face  and  neck  is 
bright  blue,  and  contrasts  well  with  the  bronze  hue  of  the 
plumage.  The  female  neither  exhibits  the  extraordinary 
development  of  the  tail  and  wings  nor  the  eye-like  spots  of 
the  male.  Her  plumage  is  darker,  and  the  total  length  is 
only  twenty-six  inches. 

The  two  specimens  (a  male  and  female)  figured  in  the 
engraving  had  been  living  some  few  years  in  the  Zoological 
Gardens  in  the  Regent's  Park  when  the  first  edition  of  this 
work  was  published,  at  which  time  only  five  specimens  of  the 
Argus  had  been  seen  alive  in  Europe ;  since  then  it  has  been 
more  frequently  imported,  and  a  dozen  adult  specimeos  have 
been  received  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  and  several  young 
have  been  bred  there.  In  addition  to  those  in  the  Regent's 
Park,  others  have  lived  in  the  possession  of  the  King  of  Italy, 
and  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  at  Amsterdam.  It  is  singular 
that  the  Argus^  although  so  exceedingly  shy  when  wild, 
becomes  perfectly  tame  in  captivity,  returning  to  its  aviary 
when  allowed  to  escape,  as  related  by  Lieut.  Kilham  in  the 
Ibis  for  1881. 

The  ornamentation  of  the  secondar}^  wing  feathers  in  the 
male  Argus  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  in  the  whole 
animal  kingdom ;  the  ornamental  marks  are  usually  termed 
ocelli  or  eyes,  but  they  much  more  closely  resemble  ball  and 
socket  ornaments.  As  these  ocelli  are  not  visible  when  the 
wing  is  closed,  the  mode  in  which  they  were  displayed  has 
hitherto  rather  been  conjectured  than  described,  and  even  in 
z-ecent  works  the  bird  has  been  portrayed  displaying  its 
plumage  in  a  perfectly  unnatural  manner. 

Fortunately,  however,  the  pair  of  Argus  pheasants  formerly 
in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  Regent's  Park,  were  closely  watched 
for  some  days  in  succession  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  W.  Wood, 
who  had  several  opportunities  of  seeing  the  male  bird  display 
the  magnificence  of  its  plumage,  and  made  a  drawing  of  it  at 


THE  ARGUS  PHEASANT.  239 

tlie   time.     At  my  request  lie  kindly  favoured  me  vvitli  tlie 
following  particulars  : — 

''  It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  comply  with  your 
i-equest  to  give  you  a  description  of  the  mode  of  display  of 
the  Argus.  The  male  bird  commences  by  running  about 
ver}^  briskly^  bending  his  neck,  and  seeming  to  look  at  the 
female  '  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye'  ;  he  is  evidently  at 
this  time  in  a  ver}'-  playful  mood :  he  elevates  his  wings 
(while  still  closed)  and  shakes  them.  Suddenly^  when  close 
to  the  female,  he  throws  his  Avings  forward,  the  primaries 
resting  on  the  ground,  the  secondaries  extending  upwards, 
and  the  tertials  having  their  upper  surfaces  pressed  together. 
At  this  time  slight  rustling  sounds  are  heard,  which  I 
have  no  doubt  are  produced  chiefly  by  the  movements  of  the 
side  feathers  of  the  tail  as  they  are  alternately  moved 
outwards  and  inwards  ;  the  large  feathers  of  the  Aviugs  are 
also  slightly  waved,  and  moved  at  regular  intervals  down- 
wards towards  the  female.  But  the  most  remarkable  cir- 
cumstance is  that  the  bird  places  his  head  behind,  or  under 
■one  wing,  so  that  in  front  there  is  nothing  to  intercept  the 
view  of  the  observer  of  his  plumage.  With  the  head  so 
placed,  how  is  he  to  observe  his  '  ladye  love,'  which,  one 
would  think,  he  must  very  strongly  desire  to  do  ?  My  idea 
was  that,  by  lowering  his  head  a  little,  he  could  peep  between 
liis  wings;  but  Mr.  A.  D.  Bartlett  has  told  me  that  he  has 
seen  the  head  thrust  through  the  wing  feathers,  and  Mr.  E. 
Bartlett  suspected  this  on  finding  some  secondary  feathers  of 
a  specimen  which  he  set  up  disordered  at  their  bases.  I  have 
drawn  the  head  in  the  position  in  which  it  has  been  placed 
when  I  have  seen  the  bird  display,  and  not  as  described  by 
Mr.  Bartlett,  although  not  for  one  moment  doubting  the 
accuracy  of  such  a  keen  observer,  and  I  am  sure  I  shall  be 
excused  for  representing  only  what  I  have  seen,  especially  as 
that  is  sufficiently  curious.  When  I  have  noticed  the  head, 
it  has  been  placed  under  the  right  wing  ;  but  I  should  not 
think  this  is  invariablv  the  case.     You  are  aware  that  I  have 


240        PHEASANTS  FOR   COVERTS  AND  AVIARIES. 

previously  called  attention  to  the  very  artistic  shading  of  the 
large  round  spots  on  the  secondaries,  and  my  opinion  that 
the  bird  during  display  Avould  so  place  his  wings  that  all  the 
lights  on  these  spots  would  be  upwards  or  towards  the  source 
of  light,  and  the  shades  downwards,  has  been  coufirmed  by 
observation  of  the  living  bird." 

From  my  own  observation  I  can  full}'  confirm  the  state- 
ment of  Mr.  Wood,  namely,  that  the  ocelli  are  so  shaded  as 
to  represent  the  light  coming  from  above  when  the  wings  are 
expanded  as  the  bird  is  displaying  itself.  In  the  engraving 
the  ocelli  of  the  secondary  feathers  nearest  the  tail  have  the 
light  side  shown  nearest  the  top  of  the  feather,  whereas  on 
the  first  and  second  secondaries,  those  which  are  held  nearest 
the  grouud  and  most  horizontally,  the  light  is  next  the  shaft 
of  the  feather. 

The  mode  in  which  these  ocelli  have  been  produced  has 
been  the  subject  of  a  very  elaborate  and  ingenious  disquisition 
by  Mr.  C.  Darwin  (''Descent  of  Man,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  141),  to 
which  I  would  refer  those  of  my  readers  who  desire  to  enter 
more  deeply  into  the  subject ;  but  the  following  remarks  on 
the  characteristics  of  the  feathers  and  their  employment  by 
the  male  are  so  graphic  that  I  need  make  no  apology  for 
quoting  them  (vol.  ii.,  p.  91)  : — 

"  The  immensely  developed  secondary  wing  feathers,  which 
are  confined  to  the  male,  are  ornamented  with  a  row  of  from 
twenty  to  twenty-three  ocelli,  each  above  an  inch  in  diameter. 
The  feathers  are  also  elegantly  marked  with  oblique  dark 
stripes  and  rows  of  spots,  like  those  on  the  skin  of  a  tiger 
and  leopard  combined.  The  ocelli  are  so  beautifully  shaded 
that  they  stand  out  like  a  ball  lying  loosely  within  a  socket. 
But  when  I  looked  at  the  specimen  in  the  British  Museum, 
which  is  mounted  with  the  wings  expanded  and  trailing 
downwards,  I  was  greatly  disappointed,  for  the  ocelli  appeared 
flat  or  even  concave.  Mr.  Gould,  however,  soon  made  the 
case  clear  to  me,  for  he  had  made  a  drawing  of  a  male  whilst 
he  was  displaying  himself.     At  such  times  the  long  secondary 


THE  ABGUS  PHEASANT  241 


feathers  in  both  wings  are  vertically  erected  and  expanded, 
and  these,  together  with  the  enormously  elongated  tail 
feathers,  make  a  grand  semi-circular  upright  fao.  Now  as 
soon  as  the  wing  feathers  ai-e  held  in  this  position,  and  the 
light  shines  on  them  from  above,  the  full  eifect  of  the 
shading  comes  out,  and  each  ocellus  at  once  resembles  the 
ornament  called  a  ball-and-socket.  These  feathers  have 
been  shown  to  several  artists,  and  all  have  expressed  their 
admiration  at  the  perfect  shading. 

'^The  primary  wing  feathers,  which  in  most  gallinaceous 
birds  are  uniformly  coloured,  are  in  the  Argus  pheasant  not 
less  wonderful  objects  than  the  secondary  wing  feathers ; 
they  are  of  a  soft  brown  tint  with  numerous  dark  spots, 
each  of  which  consists  of  two  or  three  black  dots  with  a 
surrounding  dark  zone.  But  the  chief  ornament  is  a  space 
parallel  to  the  dark  blue  shaft,  which  in  outline  forms  a 
perfect  second  feather  lying  within  the  true  feather.  This 
inner  part  is  coloured  of  a  lighter  chestnut,  and  is  thickly 
dotted  with  minute  white  points.  I  have  shown  this  feather 
to  several  persons,  and  many  have  admired  it  even  more 
than  the  ball-and-socket  feathers,  and  have  declared  that  it 
was  more  like  a  woi^k  of  art  than  of  nature.  Now  these 
feathers  are  quite  hidden  on  all  ordinary  occasions,  but  are 
fully  displayed  when  the  long  secondary  feathers  are  erected, 
though  in  a  widely  different  manner ;  for  they  are  expanded 
in  front  like  two  little  fans  or  shields,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  breast  near  the  ground. 

"  The  case  of  the  male  Argus  pheasant  is  eminently 
interesting,  because  it  affords  good  evidence  that  the  most 
refined  beauty  may  serve  as  a  charm  for  the  female,  and 
for  no  other  purpose.  We  must  conclude  that  this  is  the 
case,  as  the  primary  wing  feathers  are  never  displayed,  and 
the  ball-and-socket  ornaments  are  not  exhibited  in  full 
perfection  except  when  the  male  assumes  the  attitude  of 
courtship.  The  Argus  pheasant  does  not  possess  brilliant 
colours,    so    that   his    success  in  courtship  appears    to    have 

R 


242        PHEASANTS  FOB   COVEBTS  AND  AVIABIES. 

depended  on  the  great  size  of  his  plumes,  and  on  the 
elaboration  of  the  most  elegant  patterns.  Many  will  declare 
that  it  is  utterly  incredible  that  a  female  bird  should  be  able 
to  appreciate  fine  shading  and  exquisite  patterns.  It  is, 
undoubtedly,  a  marvellous  fact  that  she  should  possess  this 
almost  human  degree  of  taste,  though  perhaps  she  admires 
the  general  effect  rather  than  each  separate  detail.  He  who 
thinks  that  he  can  safely  guage  the  discrimination  and  taste 
of  the  lower  animals  may  deny  that  the  female  Argus 
pheasant  can  appreciate  such  refined  beauty ;  but  he  will 
then  be  compelled  to  admit  that  the  extraordinary  attitudes 
assumed  by  the  male  during  the  act  of  courtship,  by  which 
the  wonderful  beauty  of  his  plumage  is  fully  displayed,  are 
purposeless ;  and  this  is  a  conclusion  which  I  for  one  will 
never  admit." 

The  illustration,  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  W.  Wood,  speaks  for 
itself ;  its  accuracy  of  detail  is  remarkable,  and  I  have  much 
pleasure  in  having  been  accessory  to  the  publication  of  the 
first  correct  delineation  of  the  display  of  the  Argus  pheasant 
that  has  been  produced. 


n   H   HILL  LIBRARY 


APPENDIX    A. 


TRANSPORT  OY  PHEASANTS  FROM  ABROAD. 


ANY   PERSONS   may  be   desirous  of  bringing  or 
sending    gallinaceous    birds    to    England,    and    I 
cannot    therefore    do    better    than     reprint    the 
^  following  instructions,  which  were  drawn  up  for 

the  Zoological  Society  by  Dr.  P,  L.  Sclater  and  Mr. 
A.    D.    Bartlett   for   the  benefit   of  those   desirous  of 
forwarding  the  various  species  to  England. 

"  Instructionts    for   the   Transport   op   Pheasants   and 
OTHER  Gallinaceous  Birds. 

"  1.  For  exportation,  birds  bred  or  reared  in  captivity 
should,  if  possible,  be  procured.  But  if  this  cannot  be  done, 
the  following  rules  should  be  attended  to  as  regards  wild- 
caught  birds  : 

"  2.  As  soon  as  the  birds  are  captured,  the  feathers  of 
one  wing  and  of  the  tail  should  be  cut  off  tolerably  close 
to  their  bases.  The  birds  should  be  placed  in  a  room  lighted 
only  from  a  skylight  above,  and  having  the  floor  sprinkled 
with  gravel  or  sand,  mixed  with  tufts  of  grass  and  roots 
and  a  little  earth.  Among  these  the  food  should  be  thrown. 
A  tame  bird  placed  with  the  wild  ones  is  of  great  advantage, 
because  this  bird  will  induce  the  new  captives  to  feed.  The 
birds  should  be  kept  in  this  way  until  they  have  become  tame 
and  are  fit  to  be  transferred  to  the  packing-cases. 

"  3.  The  food  should  consist  of  grain  and  seeds  of  various 
kinds,  berries,   fruit,  insects,  green  food  (such  as   cabbage, 
r2 


244  APPENDIX  A. 


lettuce,  &c.),  bread  or  soaked  biscuit,  chopped  meat,  boiled 
eggs,  &c. 

"  4.  Travelliug  cages  are  most  conveniently  made  of  an 
oblong  shape,  divided  into  compartments  about  eighteen 
inches  square,  and  not  higher  than  just  sufficient  to  allow 
the  birds  to  stand  upright  in  them.  They  should  be  boarded 
all  round,  except  in  front,  where  strong  wire  netting  may  be 
employed — although,  if  the  birds  are  at  all  wild,  wooden  bars, 
close  enough  to  prevent  the  inmates  from  escaping  between 
them,  are  preferable. 

"  5.  Every  compartment  should  have  the  top  on  the  inside 
padded  with  canvas,  as,  if  this  is  not  done,  the  birds  are  very 
liable  to  injure  their  heads  by  jumping  upwards. 

"  6.  A  movable  feeding-trough  should  be  fixed  along  the 
front  of  each  compartment ;  one-third  of  this  should  be  lined 
with  tin,  pitch,  or  otherwise  made  to  hold  water  ;  the  remain- 
ing two-thirds  will  hold  the  food. 

"7.  Coarse  sand  or  gravel  should  be  kept  strewn  on  the 
bottom  of  the  cages,  and  a  supply  of  this  should  be  sent 
along  with  the  birds,  as  it  is  necessary  to  them  for  the  healthy 
digestion  of  their  food. 

"  8.  The  front  of  the  cage  should  have  a  piece  of  coarse 
canvas  to  let  down  as  a  blind  to  keep  the  birds  quiet ;  and, 
in  order  to  give  them  air,  round  holes  should  be  bored  at  the 
back  of  the  box  in  the  upper  part. 

"  9.  The  box  should  be  cleaned  out  when  the  birds  are 
fed,  through  the  opening  in  front  made  by  removing  the 
feeding  trough,  care  being  taken  that  this  opening  is  not 
wide  enough  to  let  the  birds  escape. 

"  10.  In  order  to  supply  the  birds  with  green  food  during 
the  voyage,  a  few  small  trays  (the  same  as  are  used  to  hold 
the  sand  or  gravel)  may  be  sown  with  seeds,  such  as  rape, 
mustard,  or  any  quick-growing  vegetable.  The  green  food 
thus  produced  should  be  cut  for  them  from  time  to  time,  and 
the  sand  and  roots  afterwards  thrown  into  the  cages." 

For   securing  any  recently-caught  or  ver}^  wild   bird  in 


TRANSPORT  OF  PHEASANTS. 


245 


suoli  a  manner  that  it  is  unable  to  injure  itself  by  dashing 
against  the  sides  or  top  of  the  cage,  the  plan  used  by 
falconers,  and  termed  by  them  brailing,  is  advantageous. 

To  secure  each  wing,  two  pieces  of  string  or  tape  of  equal 
length   must   be    taken,    and    two    knots    tied,    as    shown    in 


Fig.  1,  so  as  to  form  a  central  loop  with  loose  ends.  This 
loop  must  be  of  a  size  proportionate  to  that  of  the  wing 
of  the  bird  to  be  secured.  When  used  the  loop  is  passed 
over  the  fore  part  of  the  wing,  and  one  set  of  loose  ends 
are  brought  up  behind,  between  the  wing  and  the  body,  and 


Fig.  2. 

secured  by  being  tied  to  the  other  set,  as  shown  in  the 
lower  figure.  If  this  is  properly  done,  there  will  be  no 
pressure  on  any  part  of  the  wing,  nor  need  a  single  feather 
be  ruffled  or  deranged  ;  nevertheless,  flight  is  entirely  pre- 
vented, as  the  bird  has  no  power  of  expanding  the  wiug. 
When  properly  brailed  the  wildest  bird  may  be  placed  on 
the  ground,  where  it  can  run  about  freely,  but  without  the 
least  power  of   flight.     This  plan   is  one  of  great  utility  in 


246  APPENDIX  A. 


tlie  transport  of  very  wild  birds,  as  they  are  quite  unable 
to  dasli  themselves  against  the  roof  or  sides  of  the  cage  in 
which  they  are  inclosed. 

I  need  hardly  say  that  should  a  bird  be  confined  a  long 
time  in  this  manner  it  would  be  necessary  to  loosen  the  wings 
alternately,  otherwise  a  stiff  or  contracted  joint  might  ensue. 
This  would  be  obviated  by  allowing  the  bird  the  free  use  of 
each  wing  for  a  short  period. 


APPENDIX    B. 


FERTILITY  OF  HYBRID  REEVES  AND  OTHER 
PHEASANTS. 


'  ^^tlNCE    the   foregoing  pages    were    printed,  I  have, 
^     through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Digby  Pigott,  received 
some  interesting  statements  respecting  the  fertility 
of  cross-bred  Reeves  and  other  pheasants,  as  reared 
on  Lord  Ducie's  estate.     His  lordship,  writing  to  Mr. 
Pigott,  says  : — 
My  keeper  knows  of    no  case    where    hybrid    Reeves 
have  proved  fertile. 

''  Reeves  hybridizes  with  Common,  Gold,  and  Silver 
pheasant,  but  for  one  generation  only. 

'•'The  hybrid  between  Reeves  and  Gold  has  occurred  once 
in  the  wild  state  and  once  in  confinement. 

*'  Reeves  and  Common  pheasant  makes  a  fine  cross.  The 
resulting  bird  has  a  strange  cry.  I  can  detect  them  200  to 
300  yards  away,  as  it  is  very  loud. 

"  Reeves  in  a  wild  state  produces  about  five  eggs,  and 
rarely  rears  more  than  four  young;  the  Gold  pheasant  pro- 
duces  six  to  seven  eggs.     But  natural  or  wild  breeding  is 

rare  here,  owing  to  the  foxes.  .        ,        •  n  c 

"  The  Gold  pheasant  seems  to  prefer  the  ridges  ot  car- 
boniferous limestone. 

"The  Reeves  pheasant  strays  sporadically.  By  rearing 
forty  to  fifty  annually  I  can  keep  up  the  number. 

"The  Gold   pheasant   is   abundant  here.     Traces  of   an 


248  APPENDIX  B. 


Amherst  cock  (loug  since  dead)  are  to  be  seen  in  the  white 
tippet  and  red  tinge  oE  the  crest  feathers ;  this  latter  sign 
gradually"  wears  out.  The  '  tipj^et  •"  seems  to  be  more 
permanent. 

''  Silver  and  Reeves  Pheasants  have  bred  together.  The 
result  is  a  certain  amount  of  brown  colour  on  the  back  and 
in  the  tail  feathers.     I  have  little  experience  of  this  cross." 

On  the  Elvedon  estate  a  hybrid  Reeves  is  said  to  have 
proved  fertile,  and  Mr.  Pigott  on  inquiry  has  received  the 
following  letter  from  the  head  gamekeeper,  W.  Hill : — 

'^  I  had  some  four  or  five  Reeves  hybrids  (hens)  penned 
with  the  common  pheasant^  P.  colcldcus,  about  three  seasons 
ago,  and  they  were  fertile  and  several  young  were  reared. 

"  1  have  also  known  of  several  second,  and  I  may  say  third 
crosses,  but  the  curious  fact  is  that  whereas  the  first  cross  is 
a  magnificent  bird  of  great  weight  and  beauty,  the  second 
cross  is  much  smaller,  and  the  third  smaller  still — not  so  large 
as  a  medium  common  pheasant  lieu." 

Lord  Redesdale  informs  Mr.  D.  Piggott  that  he  has 
always  found  the  hybrid  Reeves  infertile,  so  that  the  fertility 
of  this  cross  must  still  be  regarded  as  very  uncertain. 


INDEX. 


Acorns  injurious  in  confinement 

Air,  destruction  by 

Alarm  guns      

America,  North,  the  pheasant  in 

Amherst  pheasant 

Argus  pheasant       


Barnes,  Mr.  J.,  on  feeding  in  coverts 

Barren  hens      

Bartlett,  Mr.,  on  rearing  young  pheasants  .. 
Bartlett,  Mr.,  on  the  transport  of  pheasants 
Baskets  for  transporting  pheasants 

Beakless  pheasant 

Black-throated  Golden  pheasant  ... 
Blindness  in  young  pheasants 
Blyth  on  the  fertility  of  hybrids  . . . 

Bohemian  pheasants       

Bones,  crushed,  use  of    

Brailing  hens  with  young  pheasants 
Brailing  pheasants  for  transport  ... 

Carbolic  acid  for  "  gapes  "     

Carr-Ellison  on  formation  of  coverts 
Cats  destructive  to  pheasants 

Chinese  pheasants 

Cock  pheasants  sitting    

Coops  for  young  pheasants    

Corsica,  wild  pheasant  in       


page 


82 
145 

m 

88 
215 
236 

56 

63 

119 

243 

94 

60 

206 

138 

220 

156 

83 

229 

245 

136 
43 
75 

159 
17 

122 
42 


250  INDEX. 


Cost  of  rearing        i^«fife  129 

Courtshij),  display  of  plumage  during 13 

Coverts,  formation  of     43 

Coverts,  food  in       53 

Cramp  in  young  jiheasants     137 

Ci'ook's  arrangement  for  plieasantries 81 

Cross-bred  pheasants  in  coverts    162 

Crossoptilon  maniclmricxim     228 

Crossoptilon  tihetanum     230 

Crowing     12 

Crows  desti'uctiv.e  to  young  pheasants 71 

Darwin  on  cross-bred  Soemmerring      ...     ...     ...     201 

Darwin  on  display  of  Argus  pheasant 240 

Dawkins,  Mr.  Boyd,  on  introduction  into  England    27 

Diseases  of  pheasants 131 

Eared  pheasant        228 

Egg-eating  by  pheasants        83,  97 

Egg  testers       Ill 

Eggs,  number  laid  in  confinement        99 

Eggs,  purchasing  stolen         106 

Elliot,  Mr.  D.  G-.,  on  hybrid  Amherst 219 

Elliot's  Phasianidce 1 

Enteritis  in  pheasants     140 

Euplocimus  nycihemerus        222 

Eeeding-ti'oughs  objectionable      55 

Flight  of  pheasants         ...      ,, 10 

Food  for  young        117 

Food  of  pheasants 3 

Foxes,  driving  from  vicinity  of  nests 75 

Gapes  in  pheasants 133 

Gentles  as  food        118 

Golden  pheasant      204 

Golden  pheasant  wild  in  Oregon 39 


INDEX.  251 


Japanese  pheasant 

Jeffries  on  pheasant  rearing 

Jerusalem  artichokes  for  pheasants 
Jess  for  tethering  hens 


Gould  on  Phasiamis  scemmerringii        pctg^  202 

Govi\d  on  Phasiarms  torquatus       16^ 

Gronld  on  Phasianus  versicolor       lo6 

Granite  grit  for  pheasants     ^^ 

Grasshoppers  eaten  by  pheasants 49 

Greece,  distribution  of  pheasants  in    40 

Hagenbeck's  pheasant 1^^ 

Harting,  Mr.,  on  pheasant  in  Middle  Ages 29 

Harting,  Mr.,  on  rooks  destroying  eggs       69 

Hedgehogs  destructive  to  eggs      73 

Heine,  Mr.,  on  habits  of  Japanese  pheasant       167 

Hens,  varieties  best  adapted  for  hatching 108 

Hewitt  on  Golden  pheasants 210 

Home  on  Eeeves's  pheasant 1°4 

Hybrid  Eeeves's  pheasant      1^° 

OQl 

Impeyan  pheasant 

Introduction  into  Ireland,  date  of         33 

Introduction  into  North  America 38 

Introduction  into  Oregon       

Introduction  into  St.  Helena        

Introduction  mto  Samoa        

Introduction  into  Scotland,  date  of     


39 
38,  163 
..  38 
..       33 


165 

100 

59 

124 

T^  ^                                                                                ....  226 

Kaleege    

Kestrel  occasionally  destructive  to  young  pheasants 7L 

Klein,  Dr.,  on  diseases  of  pheasants    137 


179 

18 


Latham,  Dr.,  on  Eeeves's  pheasant      

Laying,  date  of        

Leno,  Mr.,  on  pens  for  pheasantries     "^ 

Lilford,  Lord,  on  Eeeves's  pheasant     1^3 


252  INDEX. 


Lilford,  Lord,  on  tlie  inti-oductiou  by  the  Romans     ...  page  27 

Lofhophoriis  impeyanus 231 

Lort,  W.,  on  feeding  in  coverts     56 

Macgillivray,  description  of  the  common  pheasant 153 

Macgillivray  on  polypody  as  food  of  j^heasant 4 

Maggots  for  pheasants,  Massachusetts  Commission  on     ...  175 

Maggots  from  seaweed 118 

Male  plumage,  assumption  of,  by  female    144 

Mantchurian  Eared  pheasant        228 

Marco  Polo  on  Eeeves's  jiheasant 178 

Mayes,  Mr.  J.,  on  Reeves's  pheasant 188 

Millais,  Mr.  J.  G.,  on  Reeves's  pheasant      185 

Mock  jjlieasants,  to  make       64 

Monaul     231 

Moorhens  destructive  to  young  pheasants 71 

Naumann  on  the  pheasant     2,3 

Nesting     13 

Nests  in  trees 16 

Net  for  catching  pheasants  in  aviaries        87 

Non-domesticity  of  common  pheasant         23 

Oak-spangles  as  food  for  pheasants     5 

Ogilvie-Grant,  list  of  species  of  pheasants 22 

Ogilvie- Grant,  Mr.,  on  P.  scintillans 203 

Open  pens  for  pheasants        85 

Orpington  disease  in  pheasants    140 

Partridges  laying  in  pheasants'  nests 14 

Pens  for  pheasants 77 

Perry,  Commodore,  on  Soemmerring's  pheasant         198 

Phasianus  chri/somelas 151 

Phasianus  colchicus          150 

Phasianus  decollates      164 

Phasianus  elegans 221 

Phasianus  hacjenheclci     190 

Phasiamis  insicjnis 164 


INDEX. 


253 


Phasicmus  viongolicus 

Phasianus  persicus 

Phasiamis  picius     

Phasianus  principalis     . . . 

Phasianus  reevesii 

Phasianus  scinUllans 

Phasianus  shawii     

Phasianus  soemmerringii 

Phasianus  stra^tchi 

Phasianus  superhus 
Phasianus  torquatus 
Phasianus  veneratus 
Phasiamis  versicolor 

Phasianus  vlangali 

Phasiaiius  wallichii 

Pheasants'  benefit  to  agriculturists 

Pied  pheasants        

Pinioning  young  birds   ... 
Poisoning  by  sheeps'  wool 

Poisoning  by  shot 

Poisoning  by  yew  leaves 
Polygamy  in  j^heasants  ... 
Potatoes,  boiled,  use  of  ... 
Prince  of  Wales's  jjlieasant 
Purifying  rearing  ground 

Rai&ins  for  pheasants     ... 
Rearing  in  preserves 
Rearing  young  pheasants 

Reeves's  pheasant 

Ring-necked  pheasant    . . . 

Rooks  destructive  to  pheasants 

Rothschild,  Hon,  Walter,  on  Hagenbeck's  pheasant 

Rothschild,  Hon.  Walter,  on  Mongolian  i)heasant 

Roup  in  pheasants 

St.  Helena,  pheasants  in        

Salt  for  purifying  rearing  ground        

Saurin  on  Reeves's  pheasant  in  Pekin         


254  INDEX. 


Scent,  suppression  of,  during  nesting 74 

Sclater,  Dr.  P.  L.,  on  transport  of  pheasants     j)"^9^  243 

Scurfy  legs  iu  pheasants        142 

Shot,  pheasants  poisoned  by  eating     148 

Silver  pheasant       222 

Sinclaire,  Mr.,  on  Golden  pheasants    207 

Skin  disease  in  young  pheasants 138 

Slow-worms  eaten  by  pheasants 7 

Soemmerring's  pheasant         197 

Si^ecies  of  pheasants,  list  of 22 

Stejihen,  Mr.  Condie,  on  Prince  of  Wales's  pheasant       ...  192 

Stevenson  on  cross-bred  pheasants       162 

Stone  on  the  introduction  of  Reeves's  ])heasant        180 

Sunderland,  Col.  M.,  on  Prince  of  Wales's  pheasant       ...  194 

Swimming,  examples  of 11 

Swinhoe,  Consul,  on  the  Eared  pheasant    229 

Swinhoe,  Consul,  on  the  Silver  pheasant    223 

Tameness,  examples  of 24 

Tethering  hens  with  young  pheasants 123 

Thaumalea  amherstim     215 

Thaumalea  obscura 206 

Thaumalea  picta      204 

Theobald,  Mr.,  on  gapeworm        134 

Tickell,  Col.,  on  the  Monaul 231 

Thompson  on  food  of  pheasants 4.- 

Transport  of  pheasants,  instructions  for    243 

Trapping  birds  for  pens         92 

Turkey-hens  as  rearers 113 

Vegetable  food,  necessity  for         84 

Vipers  devoured  by  pheasants       7 

Wallace,  Mr.,  on  the  Argus  pheasant 236 

Water,  catchpools  for,  in  coverts 58 

Water,  rearing  young  without      126 

Waterton  on  non-domesticity  of  pheasant 26 

Waterton  on  formation  of  coverts       50 

Weight  of  common  species 20 


INDEX. 


255 


White  pheasants     l^«</e  156 

Why te,  Col.  J.,  rooks  destroying  eggs 68 

Windows  broken  by  pheasants     9 

Wireworms  eaten  by  pheasants    6 

Wood,  T.  W.,  on  the  display  of  Argus  pheasant       238 

Wood,  T.W.,  on  the  display  of  Gold  pheasant 205 

Wool,  death  of  young  pheasants  caused  by       146 


Yew-leaves  poisonous  to  pheasants 


140 


FOURTH  EDITION.     Wiih  Coloured  Plates  of  the  Various  Species. 

Royal  8vo.,  prwe  7s.  Gd  ,  by  post  7s.  9d. 

PHEASANTS : 

THEIR 

NATURAL   HISTORY  AND   PRACTICAL 
MANAGEMENT. 


W.    B.  TEGETMEIER,    F.Z.S. 

(Membbb  of  the  Bkitish  Oknithologists'  Union.) 

Author  of  "  Poultry  for  the  Table  and  Market,"  "  Tlie  Home  Sparrow,"  "  Horses, 
Asses,  Mules,  and  Mule  Breeding,"  <^c.,  Sfc. 

Illustrated  with  numerous  full-page   Engravings   drawn  from 
Life  by 

J.  G.  MiLLAis,  F.  W.  Frohawk,  T.  W.  Wood,  P.  Smit,  &c. 


NOTICES. 
Prom  the  Encyclopcedia  Britannica,  Art.  Pheasants,  by  Prof.  A,  Newton. 
•'  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  '  Pheasants,  their  Natural  History  and  Practical  Manage- 
ment,' is  to  be  commended  as  a  very  useful  work." 

From  Yarrell's  "  British  Birds."     Fourth  edition. 
"  For  further  details,  as  well  as  for  instructions  as  to  the   management  of 
pheasants,  both  in  the  covert  and  the  aviary,  and  the  disorders  to  which  they 
are  liable,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  excellent  work     .... 
to  which  the  editor  is  under  great  obligations." 

From  the  Daily  Telegraph. 
"  Both  in  its  descriptive  and  in  its  practical  aspects  the  treatise  is  admirable." 

From  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette. 
"  The  work  is  now  a  recognised  book,  both  for  naturalists,  »»ame   breeders, 
and  all  others  interested  in  the  rearing  of  pheasants." 


The  Field"   Office,  Bream's  Buildings,  Londov,  E.G. 


Third  Edition  Enlarged,  demy  8co.,  with  numerous  I  [lustrations,  price  2s.  (Id., 
hy  post,  2.'*.  9d. 

POULTRY 

FOE  THE 

TABLE     AND     MARKET 

VERSUS 

FANCY    FOWES, 

WITH  AN  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

FALLACIES  OF   POULTRY  FARMING. 
By  W.  B.  TEGETMEIER,  M.B.O.U.,  F.Z.S. 

Author  of  •'Poultry"'  in  the  ''  Encydepadia  Britannica" ;  Editor  of  the  Poultry  Department 

of  the  "  Field'''' ;  one  of  the  Judges  at  the  Royal  Agricultural,  Bath  and  ^Yett  of  England, 

the  Birmingham,  Crystal  Palace,  Dairy  Show,  and  other  Exhibitions. 


"  This  volume  is  altogether  trustworthy  and  well-informed  as  to  details  of 
management  by  which  good  table  fowls  may  be  reared  and  fattened.  .  .  . 
The  most  useful  book  on  poultry  that  has  appeared.  .  .  .  Likely  to  .serve 
as  a  text-book  for  generations." — Live  Stock  Journal. 

"  Mr.  Tegetmeier  is  possibly  better  entitled  than  anyone  else  to  a  hearing  on 
the  subject  of  Poultry." — Daily  GraphAr. 

"  The  chapters  on  hatching,  rearing,  and  breeding  poultry  for  the  market 
can  hardly  be  rivalled." — Aihencuum. 

"  A  more  practical  book  on  the  subject  was  never  written  ;  it  cannot  be 
too  widely  circulated  in  rural  districts." — Academy. 

"  Mr.  Tegetmeier  shows  that  for  agricultural  and  economical  purposes  the 
modern  fancy  breeds  are  useless.  He  considers  that  agricultural  societies  are 
doing  more  harm  than  good  by  offering  prizes  for  useless  birds." — Zoologist. 

"  Good  as  the  first  edition  was,  the  second  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the 
additions.  One  of  the  best  text-books  on  the  subject  that  we  have  come 
ncvoss."— Poultry. 

"  Treats  of  the  production  of  eggs  and  chickens  purely  as  a  matter  of 
business,  in  which  English  peasants  and  farmers  are  not  very  expert." — Pall 
Mall  Gazette. 

'■'  A  remarkably  practical  and  sensible  book.  The  chapter  on  the  '  Fallacies 
of  Poultry  Farming  '  is  a  most  valuable  one." — Morning  Post. 

"No  better  instruction  can  be  offered." — Garden. 

"  A  valuable  manual." — Scots'man. 

'•  Tlie  Field"  Office,  Bream's  Buildings,  London,  E.C. 


In  Demy  8vo..  Price  5s.  net,  by  post  5s.  4fL 

Horses,  Asses,  Zebras,  Mules, 
and  Mule  Breeding. 

BY 

W.    B.   TEGETMEIER,  M.B  O.U., 

AND 

CAPTAIN  C.   L.   SUTHERLAND,   CLE., 

Late  of  the  War  Office  ;   Attached  to  the  British  Commission, 

Philadelphia    Exhibition,    1876  ;     International     Jurob 

Paris   Exhibition,  1878 ;    Assistant  Commissioner, 

EoYAL    Commission  on  Agriculture,  1879. 

This  work,  wliicli  is  illustrated  by  thirty  Fall-page  Engravings, 
includes  a  detailed  description  of  all  the  animals  of  the  horse  tribe, 
iind  a  demonstration  of  the  advantages  of  mules  for  agricultural, 
draught,  and  military  purposes,  as  shown  by  their  utilisation  in 
Europe,  America,  and  India. 


"A  most  valuable  addition  to  the  literature  of  stock  breeding." — Live  Stock 
Journal. 

"  Practical  and  excellently  illustrated  throughout." — Daily  Telegraph. 

■■  May  lead  to  the  more  general  employment  of  mules." — Daily  Nexvs. 

'■  Contains  an  immense  amount  of  reliable  information." — Stock  Keeper. 

•'We  rise  from  its  perusal  with  feelings  of  the  liveliest  satisfaction." — 
Veterinarian. 

'■  To  our  readers  who  are  interested  in  mule  breeding  this  work  may  be 
heartily  recommended." — Nature. 

■•  Will  confer  a  national  benefit  if  it  succeeds  in  opening  the  eyes  of  Britons 
to  the  value  of  the  mule." — Land  and  Water. 

'•  There  can  be  no  two  opinions  concerning  the  interest  and  importance  of 
the  book — written  by  the  highest  authorities,  it  contains  the  outcome  of  much 
experience." — Baily's  Magazine. 

"  A  work  from  the  hand  of  the  greatest  living  authority  on  the  subject 
(mule  breeding),  Mr.  Sutherland,  in  collaboration  with  an  excellent  naturalist." 
— Madras  Mail. 

"  Brimful  of  science  and  research.  The  volume  will  be  much  sought  after 
in  America,  India,  and  the  Cape. — Sporting  Life. 

"  The  Field  "  Office,  Bream'n  Buildings,  London,  E.C. 


Price  6d.,  stiff  covers. 

THE 

Cottager's  Manual  of  Poultry  Keeping. 

BEING  CHAPTERS  FROM  THE  THIRD  EDITION  OF 

W.  B.  TEGETMEIER'S 

Poultry  for  the  Table  and  lYIarket 

versus 

ipjLnsrcY    :fo"v\;^il,s. 

This  pamphlet  consists  of  the  practical  chapters  on  Feeding 
Fowls,  Hatching  and  Rearing  Chickens  for  the  Market,  and  the 
Production  of  Eggs.  On  Fattening,  Trussing,  and  Showing  Dead 
Poultry,  and  on  Improving  Ordinary  Stock,  from  the  last  edition 
of  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  well-known  work  on  Table  and  Market  Poultry. 


'■'The    Field"  Office,  Bream's  Buildings,  London,   E.G. 


Croivn  Svo.,  cloth.  Is. ;  by  post,  Is.  'M. 


HOUSE   SPARROW, 

Considered  in  Relation  to  Agriculture  and  Gardening,  with  Practical 
Suggestions  for  Lessening  its  Numhers. 

By  W.  B.  TEGETMEIER,  F.Z.S.,  &  Miss  ELEANOR  i  ORMEROD,  F.E.S. 

CONTENTS. 

The  Natural  History  of  the  Spai-row.  Opinions  of  Naturalists  and 
Agriculturists  regarding  its  injurious  action,  including  those  of 
Lord  Lilford,  Yarrell,  Professor  Newton,  Booth,  &c.  Consideration 
of  the  most  effectual  means  of  diminishing  the  Sparrow  plague. 
Eules  for  the  formation  of  Sparrow  Clubs. 


"  Shoald  be  in  all  village  libraries  and  reading  rooms." — Timss,  April  17th, 
1899. 


VINTON  &  CO.,  Ltd.,  9,  New  Bridge  Street,  London,  E.C. 


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